Morning all.
AllezKev has scribbled today’s fine post. Not literally of course as most of us now live in a digital world. Writing, using a pen and paper I mean, seems a thing of the past. Email and texts have removed the one to one conversations in person dramatically. No wonder the younger generation find it difficult to communicate these days eh and I speak from experience after just a few days ago whilst out walking my hound I happened to glance a a couple of youths who were doing what they do these days and all I got was ‘what the fcuk are you staring at?’ Nice eh.
Ok, nothing quite like what new West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini experienced yesterday evening I believe. There he was, back in his home country of Chile, on his way to a restaurant in Santiago with his wife and two friends when the next thing was he was mugged at gunpoint. The four of them are ok thank goodness, but as I said, what a world we live in….
Anyway, football and Kev’s thoughts for the day.
The World Cup is only days away, but I’m looking well beyond it, towards August and the start of the Unai Emery era. Apparently the Spaniard has signed a 2 year contract with a 3rd optional year, which allows both sides some flexibility. Smart move by the club there.
I’ve not looked forward to a season with as much enthusiasm as I do this coming campaign for quite a few years now, maybe since 2007-08. I guess it’s the fact that I haven’t a clue how the next twelve months will pan out or how different everything will be.
Under Arsene Wenger things had become as predictable as his substitutions and maybe that had as much to do with being surrounded for twenty two years with the same people as anything. Arsene could have freshened things up just as his great foe Alex Ferguson often did. New ideas, a fresh approach, a different voice on the training pitch. But no, Arsene seemed to want the comfort blanket of familiar faces around him, and to his credit, he was a fiercely loyal man.
From scanning the blogosphere, it seems that most Arsenal fans were initially underwhelmed by the appointment of Emery, but were impressed with his first press conference and have now warmed to Spaniard. A change is as good as a rest I suppose.
Now we are waiting for the team behind Emery to complete some positive transfer business. The early rumours have led to very little in tangible results for Arsenal as we witness one of our main adversaries (Liverpool) bringing in a couple of quality players already while we are still waiting on Sven, Juan and Ivan to work some magic.
Looking beyond just than Arsenal though and you’ll see there’s not a lot happening on the transfer front anyway, with players on holiday or at their respective World Cup training camps where no doubt money grabbing agents are trying their luck.
Man Utd, Man City and Totts haven’t done any business, nor Chelsea who are up in the air with an owner maybe rethinking his future in England and stadium and managerial issues to address. But despite numerous rumours, only Arsenal, it seems, are criticised for dithering by the press which is normal but as the Daily Mail continue their smear campaign on the Rwanda sponsorship of Arsenal, we must be aware of their click-bait agenda.
Personally I’d like to see Arsenal ban the Daily Mail from reporting from the Emirates for the entirety of the 2018/19 season. Over to you Ivan..!
I’m still waiting for Unai Emery’s, Patrick Vieira moment, his first major signing, a player that makes us sit up and think ‘yes, this guy knows his onions.’ It could be one of his old PSG players like Rabiot perhaps, although their new head coach Tuchel will be well aware of the pitfalls of selling a player or players to the clubs previous coach.
I would imagine that the club will have several deals in motion and we’re probably awaiting the arrival of a new coach before they could proceed towards fruition. Someone like Oblak would be sensational. Not impossible though as The Independent writes:
Atletico Madrid expect goalkeeper Jan Oblak to leave the club this summer, with Premier League sides Arsenal and Liverpool ready to battle it out for his signature, according to reports in Spain. The Slovenian has a €100m release clause.
Perhaps the contract situations surrounding Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey are holding things up, then there’s the selling clubs who could also be having issues signing replacements for the players’ earmarked for the Emirates? It could even be a restricted budget, (yeah, hard to believe) needing to sell players as well as signing them, although if Liverpool can find the finances, why can’t Arsenal..?
For me the priority is a top goalkeeper and a dominating centre-half. Add a strong defence minded midfielder too and we’d certainly be heading in the right direction.
Ok, I added the midfielder, sorry Kev….
Mane left out of the Germany squad… That’s a shock..
Thanks Kev, nice one.
I’d quite like to see an out and out winger signed too, but then I’m greedy. lol
Your welcome Rico, it’s really a bit of a snooze fest atm, pre-world cup…
But the cricket was good.
A couple of young faces and the return of Ballance has certainly shook up the comfortable atmosphere surrounding the team that flopped at Lords. Milan had better get his shit together and get a score or he’ll be next…
Morning all and thank you Adonis Kev.
Indeed, exciting times ahead as we dont know what the season will bring whears you say we knew what the season was brining with Wenger……………………it could all be good or all go pear shaped, but I`m willing to bet it wont be as bad a last season…………………….saying that, last season did have some plus points imo…………Lacazette, Auba, Miki……………….good home form and a lot of goals………………………….minus points as we know were defence and away form.
I go for the Goalie and commanding central defender and Rico`s bruising DM and off we go !……………………..top4 nailed on !
Morning !!!………….where did it go ?……………………I`m behind so gym beckons !
Good morning Kev nice post, thank you.
I don’t accept the idea that just because a player is on holiday he’s not aware or involved in sorting out his future. It’s not as if he has to wait for the postman to bring him a letter from his agent. In today’s digital world instant communication is the norm whether on a Caribbean beach or halfway up Mount Kilimanjaro. Unless, that is, you’re name is Raheem Sterling and you can’t be arsed to check the details of your flight home from that Caribbean Island.
It does seem a little strange, but there appears to be more managers moving than players at the moment.
Certainly is Kev, anyone would think AW is still in place.. 😉
Loved the cricket, especially Joss Buttland’s innings, superb batting. Nice to see a few others into double figures too and Curran getting a few wickets..
It’s certainly a very quiet transfer window so far. I guess it’ll kick off soon, regardless of the WC, I think it’ll be a busy one as so many managers are at new clubs.
G’day Rico and Le Coq, off to the gym? As the story goes a previous Rector in our village was very fond of hunting. So that his housekeeper should not have to lie to the Bishop when he called, our wily Rector name his horse “His Rounds” Thus the the housekeeper could truthfully say “The Rector is out on his rounds, your Grace”. He had a second horse called “Parish Business”, for the same reason.
Have they renamed your local, Le Cog? ?
Hi Cicero..
Back from a hard session down the gym ! 🙂
Hmm! Just about the time it takes to down a couple of pints and play a game or two of dominions. ?
Much prefer your idea Cicero..
Better than ogling at yourself in the mirror…. 😉
Rico from what I understand, the mirrors in Le Coq’s local, sorry gym, have all been shattered by the awful sight of him exercising……his right arm. Drinking a pint of course. ?
But where did dominions come from, I keyed in dominos. Ha! It tried to do it again….dumb spell checker.
🙂 Cicero.
You only have to look at Arnie these days to see that going down to the gym doesn’t pay off in the long run, much more satisfying to exercise the mind if you ask me !
I dont know Micko, they’ve got good vending machines in the gyms these days…
I can just picture you in your muscles t-shirt rico lol !!!
Not a pretty sight Micko… lol
Morning….
New post up now.