Next season will be a huge one, one which will eventually and hopefully bring some normality back into our sporting lives, where we can put all this present day uncertainty behind us. It will be quite something when we’re finally allowed to enter a football stadium again and partake in the collective experience of watching football match live from the stands. I have to admit that whilst I don’t go regularly anymore, I do miss the option of doing so or watching on television.
Yes, next season will be big for sure but 2020/21 is also going to be a major season for the 5 Arsenal players I’m covering in today’s latest exciting episode of: ‘Thoughts From an Essex Lockdown’…
Kieran Tierney left his hometown of Glasgow and his hometown club Celtic last summer to follow in the footsteps of the much vaunted Charlie Nicholas to move to North London for a hefty Scottish fee of £25m. I’m sure I read somewhere that it was a record fee, probably for a defender or a full back moving from Scotland to England. The naysayers of course were full of question marks over his recent fitness record, which to be honest wasn’t great, but Kieran just painted his face blue (or should that be green?) and crossed Hadrians Wall to come and live among the Angles.
Fitness has been an issue for him for most of this season so it must be difficult to be completely confident and give 100% when you’re not totally free of anxieties over your own fitness but I saw some encouraging cameos, mostly in cup games, where Kieran linked up with Reiss Nelson in particular and Gabriel Martinelli for me to be very optimistic. The club seem to be sensibly taking their time by not rushing him back, ensuring that all his issues are finally dealt with. With plenty of rest and medical attention I’m really hopeful that we might get a snapshot at the back end of this season of what Tierney can do, then he’ll hit the track hard next season. I’m looking forward to seeing him charging down the left flank, hitting those delicious crosses we saw glimpses off before the turn of the New Year.
As for the rumours linking him with a move to Leicester in the summer, they’re all rubbish.
Ok, I suspect that many of us are asking ourselves questions, you know like ‘when does this bloody lockdown end?’ Or perhaps ‘when can I get away to my local pub and have a serious session?’ Or maybe you’ve asked yourself, as I have, if there’s any wildlife left in China? Well I’d imagine that Rob Holding must also be wondering if he’ll ever put on a pair of football boots and feel free to play for Arsenal again without mishap after almost 18 months and a litany of injuries.
It’s easy to forget what an important member of the Arsenal defence Holding actually was and central to the teams unbeaten run under Unai Emery before it all went south. Thanks to that toss pot Marcus Rashford at Old Trafford who I’ve despised ever since.
According to PhysioRoom.com, Arsenal have only three players currently not fit enough to be considered for first team football and Rob isn’t one of them – so if they’re correct then Holding is ready to play.
I like Rob, I always have, especially after he faced up to Diego Costa in the FA Cup final, intimating to Costa that the Chelsea man was a nutter by looking him in the eye, grinning and tapping his head, or basically telling the Spanish-Brazilian that he wasn’t going to be intimidated. It’s such a shame that we couldn’t have got a couple more years out of Mertesaker because Holding would have really benefited from partnering BFG for a year or so.
Rob being a northern lad and English won’t take any crap from anybody. I like his no nonsense attitude, it’s something we’ve missed since our legendary centre backs of yore hung up their boots. Holding isn’t just a stopper, he’s a footballing centre half who’s good in the air and confident and composed on the ground but if he needs to put it into Row Z he isn’t too proud to put his foot through the ball.
Of course with Mikel Arteta being linked with every centre-back who can walk, there must be doubts over his Arsenal future, although I wonder if Arteta has even had a proper chance to coach him yet. Saliba will arrive in the summer and I’ll be amazed if he isn’t in the team pretty much from day one. We’ll have Mari, Luiz and possibly another centre back if the rumours are to be believed. So even if Sokratis and Mustafi leave and there’s no certainty that they will, Rob might be pushed to get a game. So it might make sense to send him out on loan for a year where he could rediscover his form and confidence and in 12 months time more opportunities might open for him at Arsenal. Rob is under contract until 2023 so he’s got plenty of time and if there are no underlying fitness issues then I’m sure Arteta will give him a chance.
That well know Arsenal fanatic Josh Kroenke who along with his management guys shocked us all last summer, during the ‘We care. Do you?’ campaign by spending a club record £72m on the mercurial talent that is Nicholas Pepe. The hottest property in French football at the time who was heavily linked to Liverpool arrived at Arsenal and despite reservations about him right now, at the time his arrival was exciting one. A few brave souls even suggested that Stan himself had finally discovered a sporting ambition and was now going to loosen the purse strings. He might even put a bit in himself. Yeah right.
Nicholas Pepe had previously ripped up Ligue Un for a couple of seasons with some eye catching performances and a succession of brilliantly taken solo goals. Here, we thought at last, was the icing on the Aubameyang and Lacazette cake. We couldn’t wait to see all three of them rip up the Premier League and fire us back into the Champions League places again, but it hasn’t really happened has it? Despite a few notable performances like at Anfield in particular and then under Freddie Ljungberg at The Olympic Stadium, other than a few encouraging free kicks that got us excited, we’re still waiting for him to really set the place alight.
Of course changing managers twice in mid-season isn’t the perfect basis to adapt to a new country, language, culture, football, club or to a new way of doing things at your place of work and remember, he’s into his third way of doing things in less than a year. We’d probably have issues if we went through that at our place of work.
The fans have generally been kind towards Nicholas, most have readily made the comparison with how much time it took for Bobby Pires to settle in England as was the case during his first year at Arsenal and lest we forget Pirès also played in a team of champions before becoming a massive figure at the club.
But patience and modern football fans aren’t compatible for long so Pepe really needs to get his head down, sort it out and start delivering on the pitch. I worry that he still may not have fully settled in England. I mean what a season to make the transfer of your life. Moving to England, playing for three managers in only eight months and then suffering a total lockdown whilst thousands are dying! The nightmare scenario is that he becomes the next Gervinho, but I don’t think he will. But I do wonder if the balance of the attack suits him. Would he be more dangerous playing through the middle or could he be more effective on the left flank where he could stretch defenders and create space? He can score goals there’s no doubt of that but maybe he needs to work harder on other aspects of his game, because under Arteta he’ll need to for sure.
I’m optimistic that Pepe will show his true worth next season, because if Aubameyang and Lacazette do leave then the responsibilities of leading our attack, whether through the middle as a striker or on the flanks as a creator will fall onto the laconic shoulders of our man from Cote d’Ivoire.
You’ve got love Hector Bellerin. He likes his art, his fashion, he’s a vegan, he’s done a talk at Oxford University and he has a cockney accent. He’s the thinking man’s footballer, but he’s also at a vital time in his Arsenal career. Hector is an experienced player at Arsenal, touted as an Arsenal captain, a role that I think he would suit, but he is coming off of a terrible injury and he’s suffering much the same as Rob Holding. His knee injury has crucified his career to date and let us not forget how consistent he was before his injury, having played almost every game without a break as he was pretty much the only option at right back at the time. Was he overplayed by Emery? Almost certainly and it’s cost him over a year of his career.
There have been some mutterings in the fan base with his loss of pace being the most obvious criticism. It’s the kind of criticism which Aaron Ramsey received during the early period of his comeback. A comeback which took at least a year before Ramsey recaptured his old form and confidence, so I have to say that I think it’s a bit unfair to bash Hector.
Ok, there have previously been questions posed over his defending even before his injury but I feel that we sometimes miss the circumstances he found himself in because whether under Wenger or Emery he was pretty much left on his lonesome on the right flank with absolutely no support from those in front of him. Of course you could interpret that as his managers having total confidence in his ability and speed to cover almost the entire right flank and in that regard he did quite well, but unfortunately if he was exposed, as all defenders are in matches, then he was like a lone Spartan trying to hold back the Persian hoards as he was overrun, with Hector getting the blame.
I like Hector, I’ve always liked Hector, I think that he’s a great character to have around the squad. He doesn’t seem to hang around in a clique, he’s different for sure and maybe a bit misunderstood because of the difference. He’s a guy who’s serious about certain subjects and not obsessed with cars or the usual nonsense surrounding footballers.
Memories are short in football terms so Hector really needs to recover his form and if in fact he has lost some of his pace he needs to adapt his game, his positioning possibly and he needs the guys in front of him to help. Next season is a big one for him but I hope he recovers his game after his injury nightmare and enjoys an Arsenal renaissance.
No.5 off the rank may surprise a few as it’s Matteo Guendouzi.
Guendouzi was the surprise package under Unai Emery because almost from day one, the man we signed from Ligue 2 with the hairy mop and questionable attitude came straight into the first team and for the best part of the eighteen months under Emery, was one of his first picks. At first he was dynamic, driving forward and giving our midfield some energy after several stodgy years of Xhaka plodding around. Then he began to develop this habit of falling over at the slightest touch and waving his arms about which eventually led to referees ignoring him when he was actually fouled. It began to become more about him than the team, well it did to me, so feel free to disagree and tell me why.
But he was still one of our best midfielders. He got into the French National squad and his star was on the rise, but then came Emery’s 2nd season and he along with many others seemed to, if not down tools, but to come very close.
We have to remember that Guendouzi was 19 years old when he joined Arsenal so he is still very young and still learning his trade. Maybe we as fans expected too much too soon but I do wonder about him being an Arsenal player long term. Under Arteta I’ve sensed a change as no longer is Matteo the pin up boy as he was with Emery and his place in the team isn’t as certain as it was under the previous Spaniard.
Why is that? Could it be that he isn’t working hard enough in training or that he isn’t following the instructions of the manager? Maybe he doesn’t fit the idea that Arteta has in his mind for the Arsenal midfield? Matteo certainly doesn’t lack in confidence and he’s very popular among his team mates, especially the French ones, or that’s how it seems, but is he serious enough about his work with Arteta?
I might be totally wrong and please tell me why and share your view if I am but I get a feeling that Arteta has left him out to bring him down a peg or two. He is a very talented player who I feel could give a lot more and if Arsenal put him up for sale then we’d have no problem in selling him for a very good price, but I want him to stay and become a great player at Arsenal.
So a big season ahead for Matteo, and let’s see if Arteta can get that bit extra out of him which will turn him into the player he could be.
By AllezKev.
Morning Kev, all.
Thanks for the post, five big questions in there. I’m not convinced by Guendouzi as I think he’s already got a bit big for his boots. I really dislike all the rolling around he’s brought into his game. I wouldn’t be fussed if he stays or goes. I do think the other three will be fine though as long as their injuries remain a thing of the past.
Pepe is an exciting player in my opinion and if Auba goes, I think we might see him more central, switching with Eddie and Martinelli. He wouldn’t have envisaged how brutal this league can be but now he knows what to expect and can work around it in a way Bobby did. Henry too who just breezed through and past defences with his pace.
However, I don’t think we’ll see the turnstiles open for a while yet, certainly not before Christmas imo, if then. Until there’s a vaccine, I think large crowds will be a no go.
Morning Rico and all. Very nice Post Mr Allezkev. As you know, I also got a bit fed up with Matteo trying to bend the rules by his constant diving but perhaps Mikel can eradicate it to a large extent. But let’s not forget that Man City have turned it into an art form.
According to the papers, a dubious source of info I know, Stan has increased his wealth by over £300 million, even during this revenue-light time. He must be a hell of a businessman.
Morning Adam.
Ozil is another who goes to ground far too easily but he’s not alone in the game.
Good morning all and thanks, Kev, for the post.
I think we may have bought a dud in Tierney, a poor injury record before we signed him and it’s shown no signs of getting better since. As you say, Kev, he has given a few hints of his abilities but mainly in a wing back role rather than as defender which should be his primary purpose given the dodgy nature our defence as a whole.
Is Pepe robust enough to play a more central role? I think he surprised a few defenders when he first arrived, but they soon twigged his dislike of copping a challenger two early in a game, after which he tended to offload the ball a bit too quickly for my liking. He certainly needs to up his game for £72 million will not be easy to recoup in a severely depressed transfer market.
A fit and confident Holding will force his way into the team as the three stalwarts of our defence, Luiz, Sokratis and Mustafi are all approaching the final phase of their careers.
I too like Bellerin, another player who has had a tough time injury wise recently, but is an essential part of the squad. Maybe he needs to drop the vegan diet which is not a natural one for Homo Sapiens, a nice piece of red meat could work wonders for his recovery process.
As to Guendouzi, he does need to cut down on the theatricals, although they are becoming far more common throughout football, he does over do it on occasions. I did hope that VAR would sort the diving situation out, but that has more pressing problems to resolve and is a subject for discussion in future posts no doubt.
Disagree on the vegan diet Cicero, as long as sports people take on enough protein, a plant based diet is far more healthy than eating meat. I read up on why people change to a plant diet a while ago and part of the reason was to protect muscles etc.
Rico, we must agree to disagree.
Good afternoon everybody, how’s lockdown for you?
Cheers Rico, when I look at all five I’m hopeful that under Arteta that they can find another level to move to or rediscover their previous form.
Hi Adam and yes your views on MG were on my mind as I wrote/typed. Personally I’ve not got a problem with exaggerating a foul, because you need to to ensure that our dumb officials award a free kick/give the card for an offence which they’d probably rather ignore. Unfortunately he over does the theatrics.
Thanks for the post Kev Hi Rico and All With the break these players are having it’s now time for all the new recruits and Guendouzi to prove they are up to par with the other players no more excuses and Arteta and his recruiting staff to be harsh and if in dealt then sell them.
Kev, perhaps for the likes of Guendouzi, AMN etc, the remaining ten fixtures are do or don’t as far as their Arsenal careers go. I’m convinced the club will sell a few players this summer and both imo must be close to the ‘for sale’ list.
Hi Geoff.
Cheers Cicero, yeah I know you have your doubts about Tierney, so next season is going to be pivotal for our Jocko left back, but I think a year or so under Arteta should do the trick, I certainly don’t want Arsenal to waste money on the guy from PSG.
Again with Pepe it’s the Arteta effect I’m looking for, but good comments and thanks…
And yes Adam, well done to Stan and well deserved, he certainly has a perceptive business head, I mean $323m, how on earth did he manage that?
It makes me happy to know that the club is in such safe hands – and a true Gooner to boot…
Ok the pop ups are getting on my nerves and it’s difficult to post, so have a good day ya’ll….
The pop ups should disappear after your first login Kev..
Nice one Kev,
I’m really looking forward to watching Arsenal again, not so much the behind closed doors stuff, although even that’s better than nothing. It will be great to get back in the stadium.
I agree with the 5 picked out. I find it hard to warm to Guendouzi, but people in the game seem to rate him so hopefully he will only get better.
The future looks bright, Saliba plus youngsters coming through, it’s always been the Arsenal way…
New post up now