Morning all.
Some good news to kick off with. The injuries to Pablo Mari and Bernd Leno aren’t as bad as first feared. They’re bad enough and both will miss the remaining fixtures of this season but by the time we start up again for the 2020/21 campaign, we might not have to wait very long before seeing them back in the team. Further good news relates to both Granit Xhaka and Papa Sokratis who are back in full training which should mean being available for selection tomorrow evening. I know, desperate times and all that jazz.
Not such good news for Gabriel Martinelli who suffered a cartilage injury to his left knee during training on Sunday. There’s no detailed information regarding the extent of his injury or recovery period but it’s unlikely we’ll see him again this season.
Cedric Soares should finally be ready to play after the FA Cup fixture against Sheffield Utd and Lucas Torreira is 2-3 weeks away from full training so he might just get a game or two played before the summer break.
David Luiz is one of four players who have agreed a short term deal to remain at Arsenal until this season ends. Mari, Soares and Ceballos being the other three. Mikel Arteta has been quoted in the Evening Standard as saying it’s always been the intention of the club to make the loan deals of Mari and Soares permanent and nothing has changed. A few i’s to be dotted and t’s to be crossed before both officially become Arsenal players for a few years to come. Luiz is reported to have agreed a one year extension to his contract. Marvellous!!
If anyone wondered whether or not Mikel Arteta knew what he was taking on when he said yes to replacing Unai Emery, well here’s the answer:
“I knew since I joined what I was jumping into. The past few seasons, what happened, I knew it wasn’t a coincidence. So I could’ve sat back and waited to see if the opportunity was still there in the summer, or I could use this time as well to start the process that I want and to start to see where the changes that have to be made are. A lot of things have already changed at the club and are in evolution to change, even results and energy was changing just before the coronavirus. I cannot control everything.
“Now I don’t have [the players] in my hands as much as I would like during the day, because they are in and out, in and out and that is obviously not ideal for what we need as a team and as a club. But again, it’s not an excuse. We are here to win football games and that’s my responsibility. I take it fully. But we are assessing a lot of things to make a very clear picture of what is going to take us to the next level, because right now is not enough.”
So does Arteta believe we can still finish in the top four this season?
“We will see the reaction now. When you are winning two or three games in a row, it’s easy, when you lose one it becomes a little bit more difficult. When you lose two in a row, two very different games that are completely different to assess, I want to see that reaction and how much they want it and how they’re going to react as a team as well as how they’re going to react as individuals and go for it.”
His words kind of suggest that he still has a decision to make on a few of the players and rightly so I think. He needs to know his players will dig in deep and show they have some fight in them. Fight for the club, their teammates and of course, Arteta himself. If they can’t do that now, they won’t next season either which will ultimately undermine everything Mikel Arteta is trying to do. He needs players who want to play for him as well as playing for our great club. Players who believe in him.
Matteo Guendouzi is not doing his Arsenal career any favours.
I wouldn’t bet against Mikel Arteta dropping him from tomorrow’s squad after his silly behaviour at The Amex. Bragging about how much he earns to the opposition, if true, is disrespectful. When he’s on the pitch representing our club, he should be thinking of nothing other than his performance. So would I be surprised to see him moved on this summer? No, not one bit.
See you in the comments guys.
I had to change the headline before I was lambasted for suggesting the jury being out on Arteta. Mind you, it probably is.
Morning again Rico 🙂
Of course the jury remains out on Arteta.
He hasn’t proven anything, yet.
That’s in a positive or negative aspect.
A long way to go, and a massive job to do but I remain adamant he is up for it.
I’m up in the air on the Luiz extension.
He’s too old to rid himself of the odd brain explosion, but still offers something for the right games and lets face it, the extensions costs us a wage only.
Hopefully, Mari, Holding, Mustafi and Saliba become our main CB’s for the future.
We still need back up as is evident right now.
It could suggest we aren’t spending up in the transfer window but time will tell.
It’s official. Luiz has signed for another year..
That’s not the question though Scott. I think the jury is still out on several of our players too. If Mikel Arteta believes these players will keep him in a job then he’s mistaken imo. Too many are just going through the motions of being a footballer.
That’s just what Wenger said a few days ago about Ozil Scott, he only cost the club his wages. Now where are we with him? £96 million worse off I read.
Rico, comparing the Luiz situation to Ozils is hardly fair.
One is for a single extra season and at nowhere near the price.
We have plenty of players on notice, imo.
Despite my doubts about the logic of giving Luiz another year I suppose, given the parlous sate of our defence, it was necessary to bolster the numbers. It will reduce the pressure on Saliba and give him time to settle in. If all goes well we can sell Luiz in January, we may even get a reasonable price for him.
I’m not Scott, I’m just comparing scenarios. Whether Luiz turns out to be money well spent or not is something we won’t know until the end of next season.
Had Mari not suffered injury, I very much doubt Luiz would have been kept.
Anyway, what about Soares, good or bad decision to sign him up?
Cicero, I love an optimist. Not many of us around. 😂
Morning fellow glutton for punishmenters and thanks Rico.
The jury maybe out, but I`m the judge and will dismiss the jury until I find one full of Artetarists!
We could do a Chavski and keep changing the managers, but unlike Chavski we dont have the money………..generally, money = trophies.
Hands up who reads things like …………..”Fours players extend stay”…………and pray that one of those four is Saka, only to be dissapointed it is a few you dread…………… 🙁
I really can’t say I see any GOOD news in that. At best it’s meh. It’s not news from a club that’s looking to progress and is getting things right is it? We’re extending contracts for at least one player we’d rather see go and not managing to settle things for players we desperately need to keep.
Lc, I don’t think Arteta can be judged for a while yet. With or without Luiz. 😂
Saka is rumoured to be close to agreeing a new deal so it really is fingers crossed. The last thing we need is to see him end up on Merseyside.
I hardly read news now anymore , in the main it’s the papers realising that no-one buys their rags anymore regurgitating the same old rubbish trying to be relevant.
David Luiz has been given his extension but he will be Clacton in my opinion ( the last resort ) as a central defender . Perhaps as a deep lying central midfielder he might have uses but in the back line I am sure that there are more viable options once they all come back from their various ailments. If no-one leaves I make him 7th on the list as a central defender. Possibly 4th as a deep lying midfielder .
Guendouzi is a conundrum , if we shoot him out no doubt he will go on to be a world beater for someone else depending on where he goes. he is a classic case of too much too soon getting International call ups whilst still wet behind the ears . Hopefully Mikel is capable of bringing him back down to earth before it’s too late. He is young and not everyones cup of tea , mine included but in different ways even Ray Parlour had his moments at the Tuesday club and I would give my eye teeth to have him lining up for us now the 2000 to 2005 version.
Arteta is using these last few games to see who cuts it and who doesn’t . Quite right really , The season was a write off when he got here and it’s the next one that we will judge progress on.
Hasn’t Arteta already had to knock Guendouzi a peg or two? I read he was doing silly dance routines behind Mikel’s back during a serious training session. If true, he’s clearly not learned much, certainly about himself. Not even the great players throw money bragging words around. Again, if that story is true but what is real, is the way he grabbed the Brighton guy which I think looked bad but only because of the timing.
I’m in full agreement re experimenting now rather than later because pre season will be very short. Funny enough, I’ve written about that already, but for tomorrow’s fixture. Lol
EDU: PLAYERS BRING RIGHT BALANCE
Technical director Edu told Arsenal’s official website: “I am really happy that we will have these players in our squad for the future. They have been part of the long-term technical plan Mikel and I have developed. They bring the right balance to our squad.
“David is a really important player for us. He has played most of our matches this season and has been important for the team. His passing, his communication with the team on and off the pitch. He helps everyone.
“With Pablo we’re all disappointed he got injured at Manchester City. Since Mikel arrived here he was asking for a central defender who was left-footed. We were really pleased with Pablo – his behaviour, the way he is training, his mentality and his quality. Unfortunately, he has that injury but of course we are really happy to keep him for the future.
“Cedric is also going to be an important player. He has been unlucky with the injuries but he is close to being ready and gives us more strength in the right-back position. We’re also pleased Dani will finish the season here. He is making a good contribution and we look forward to him having a strong finish to the season.”
Good Morning Gooners, it’s another scorching day out here in Essex, thanks for the post Rico.
Arteta did say several times that he wants a central midfielder, a centre half, a right back and a wide forward ( I think he wanted a left sided wide forward?) so I guess, given our parlours financial position, we’ve done the type of business we can, that is unless KSE invest in player acquisitions and that’s not happening under this absent owner, so Raul and co have got Arteta much of what he wants, a right back, 2 centre halves and if the rumours are true George Lewis our new Norwegian/Rwandan winger. That means any cash we have to spend, will be spent on a central midfielder and we all know who that might be?
I read Arseblog earlier today and he clearly isn’t comfortable with the influence of a couple of agents at Arsenal and I can see his point, as I also hate their influence, but the alternative is what, going back to working for transfers in the wilderness?
A couple of days earlier Arseblog also bigged up Wolves a team I really enjoy watching and a team that is brim full of the players from a particular agent, Jorge Mendez I believe.
Mino Raiola is trying his damnedest to make a deal between Roma and Arsenal for Kluivert and Mkhitarayan. If we get Kluivert will Arseblog et al be pissed off that it was done by Raiola or will he be happy that we got rid of Micky?
This is the football world we inhabit, it’s been allowed to develop this way because of corrupt and incompetent officials at FIFA and UEFA, FIFA have been a major problem for the governance of football ever since that Brazilian crook took over from Sir Stanley Rous.
Yes football is big business, it’s stellar, bu5 it’s also as bent a a 9 dollar bill….
I wonder if our purchase of Lewis has anything to do with our sleeve motif ” visit Rwanda” sponsorship .. Is he another Inamoto / Miyaichi signing. Part of the deal .
Kev , where there is money , there is corruption. In England we are subtle about it but in other parts money drives politics and politicians are corrupt . The latest effort riding on the back of the American killing is just the latest example . Somebody somewhere is gaining an advantage from it , whilst the masses are led by the nose.
As you say nine bob notes the lot of them.
Be careful Potter, we’re all be monitored by Big Tech, don’t diss the BLM or else you’ll have some Momentum brown shirts outside your drum. 😉
Kev, I’ll say it.
Fuck the BLM.
There.
Done.
Their agenda has nothing to do with saving lives of any colour, but anyone with a brain OR no vested interest knows that.
Isn’t Lewis Norwegian Kev?
Steady on guys re the BLM, I don’t want any complaints about HH landing on my doorstep.
Apologies Rico.
Hey Scott, are you an anarchist? 😄
Rico, I think that Lewis was born in Rwanda but has Norwegian citizenship.
Kev, I’m just honest 🙂
Afternoon Rico and All
Mars-bar and a Cold-sore plus we keep
The Nut-cracker for another season.
Not been on the official site yet,
Prehaps someone on might know
Have we had the Photoshoot yet?
Micky must of sunctioned these guys
not a lot of dough spent.
I suppose we could already have a big
player on his way,going by the African
Grapevine.
Maybe its who we can p45 now as
regards how much we have in the kitty.
Ozil for one will stay on his luxurious
water bed for another season,that means
every player we have or want to sign will
want a slice of,what Ozil has,and I don’t mean
water.
Hard to guess whos in or out and who we
can swop,so many questions.
Just to get on the holiday theme when
players.
We used to call it Western-super-mare.
Hi Rico, all….. just been melting at work, with my mask 😵 Nice post 👍
This restart has been disastrous, on and off the pitch! One injury after another… was glad about Leno, but devastated about Martinelli.. one of our players took him out – that really does sum our luck up right now!
Disappointed with Guendouzi, I really like him but not spouting that sorta crap! And btw, Maupay is on 50k a week 😂
Seeing as he got off with it, Arteta will surely have to give him a rollicking.. I mean saying they’re sh*t, after we’d lost to them!!!
Sheesh!!
I saw an article earlier about Sven Mislintat (remember him?) saying how he warned us about the transfer strategy under Raul and now views us an ‘absolute mess’
Luiz, Luiz, Luiz… omg I do like the guy, probably more so when he’s lining up for another team 😂 Really not looking forward to another year of his brain farts though if I’m honest!! Underwhelmed is what I am 😂
Paddy Power are pledging 6,000 trees for everytime we lose!!! 🤪 We’ll continue to be the butt of everyone’s jokes for a long time, me thinks!!
Seeing as we’re playing the Saints tomorrow.. I saw this – 😍😍😍
https://mobile.twitter.com/VBET_uk/status/1275774838637056000
Thanks Kev, I didn’t know but then I’ve not looked him up. Lol
Hi Fred, Sue.
I just read LG, Pedro’s take on what’s going on doesn’t fill me with confidence towards Arsenal.
Seriously re Paddy Power?
I had a quick butchers on LG, Rico, but didn’t make it past the tweet about Luiz and red cards and penalties….I’d seen more than enough ☹
The agent stuff is a worry Sue.
I can imagine, Rico! What a state we’re in..
Emmanuel Petit: ‘If I was Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, I would leave Arsenal. It’s becoming an average club. I feel so sorry for the fans and all the people who love the club. I feel sorry for the former players that try to uphold the Arsenal reputation.’
I blame Raul Sue.. lol
Someone, anyone needs to stand up and say ‘this isn’t good enough, we’re Arsenal’ – but who?
Afternoon Rico. Looks like my hopes of a proper roots-up rebuild are slipping away after these very odd deals.
Afternoon Adam. Luiz is frustrating but perhaps there’s more to it than him just being a player. Straws and clutching spring to mind though..
Rousing atmosphere at Carrow Road, they may not be one of the biggest clubs, but they do have some of the most vociferous cardboard cut out fans!………………………think I just saw cardboard Cicero and Potter there with their cardboard zimmer frames! 😆
The players cant shake hands at the end of a game, but they can touch knuckle to knuckle as that wont spread a virus if they had it!……………………….should be no problem having a boxing match then as obviously a knuckle sandwich to the chin wont spread the virus!………………………………….I will not let my wife know that fact! hahaha
😂😂😂 so funny, Le Coq!
Bloody hell, Palace!! 😡
Seems no spending of note to come.
Stan, surprise us ya tight bugger!!!
Dan Critchlow
@afcDW
·
5h
So basically all the recent talk of huge agent fees on all our signings was total nonsense. This even includes the Pépé signing.
Quote Tweet
Sam Dean
@SamJDean
· 6h
FA documents show that, from February 1 2019 to January 31 2020, Arsenal paid around £13.5m to intermediaries.
That’s considerably less than Liverpool (£30m), Man City (£29m) Man United (£27.5m) & Chelsea (£26m). Also less than Everton (£17m) & Leicester (£15m).
Why the hell Should clubs play those scumbags fees anyway?
Players want them, they can pay for them!!!!
New post up now.
You still moaning Scott? 😂
Kev, does an agents fee work on percentages?