Morning all.
The media we’re on the Willian, Ceballos and Luiz incidents in a flash. No surprise because it’s there job to drag up dirt and write about it for a few days. Because it’s Arsenal, I expect it’s extra satisfying to have two stories hand to them on a plate. The Athletic were fed the details of the Ceballos and Luiz incident but I’m not sure who won the race to tell the world.
On the reported incident between Ceballos and David Luiz…
Nothing. Training is very competitive and issues happen a lot of the time, but those things get resolved immediately within the team. There’s not much to say.
On whether there’s an issue between the two…
No problem at all.
On whether he saw what happened between the two of them…
No. I’ve got a really bad vision from far away! That’s why we train behind closed doors.
On whether Willian will play on Sunday after reportedly being in Dubai…
You keep asking me for more and more issues. Whatever happens internally with any issues or things that we don’t expect, as always we will try to resolve them internally. That’s been dealt with and explained, and we move on.
On whether Willian let him down…
We had a conversation and I explained what I expected. There are a lot of personal factors at the moment and as well from our side, we need to be in their shoes. A lot of players are having different issues, like any person out there and sometimes they make decisions based on the needs of the moment, or what people are expecting from them. Whether they are right or wrong, it’s a thing that we have to discuss. But it’s been dealt with in the right way so let’s move on.
I don’t think I’d have wanted to be Willian at the moment Mikel Arteta confronted him after breaching the Covid rules. The squad is already depleted because of Covid and there’s Willian, flying abroad with total disregard for the rules, the club and his fellow players. If it’s a breach of contract, sack him. I know, it’s not that simple but if it was, it’d be a great way to remove a player who’s not performing.
We often talk on HH about the younger players and how difficult it must be for Mikel Arteta to integrate them into the first team for League fixtures, well I’d rather see Willock or Nelson on the pitch than our Brazilian right now and not just because of this incident.
The Luiz/Ceballos incident is quite frankly pathetic. It’s a non starter of a story really. As suggested yesterday, there must be tension within the camp because things aren’t going well on the pitch. I’m sure little spats take place regularly because it’s almost impossible to put 25 odd human beings together and expect them all to get on. I liked Arteta’s response, right out of the ‘Arsene Wenger I didn’t see it’ manual. Of course the incident will have been dealt with internally but that’s where it should have stayed to begin with. As Mikel Arteta said, that’s why clubs train behind closed doors. Clearly though, this one was leaked and I’d be wanting to know by whom.
Anyway, we go to Leeds tomorrow with a depleted squad. No Partey, Elneny or Kolasinac. Leeds will be out of the blocks quicker than a rat up a drainpipe. We just have to be ready.
See you in the comments.
Just watching Reading v Bournemouth. Arsenal could do with a striker in the mould of Reading’s big front man.
Giroud will be available in January?
I do find this side of football reporting quite amusing. I mean we all work for companies and we all know what happens at work is dealt with by our employers that’s how it works according to the company handbook we all had to read and sign when we start a new job. This is nothing different apart from it’s a famous football club and famous footballers. So yeah shit happens you deal with it and move on no big deal. And this is the same. But I agree with Arteta on two counts, the first is it’s wrong to leak this kind of information and that should be dealt with and stopped. The second is as a fan it’s good to see and hear of passion and aggression on the training pitch it means they care.
I used to play rugby and there were always underlying personality clashes we had 100 plus players at training and yeah stuff kicks off between players but it tends to get dealt with everybody shakes hands and we move on and that’s the end of it.
The Reading guy has pace Kev. He like Balogun in frame.
Exactly Mig. A lot of fuss about nothing I reckon. I hope they channel a bit of that aggression into the Leeds game. Within the rules of course.
The only bit I find interesting is than in the two spats Arsenal have had, that we know of I mean, Ceballos was involved in both.
rico: good, good is Reading ..
I’ve watched them…
Not after halftime though Jm.
Desperate look to the table tonight. But having watched them they are well organised and look streets ahead of us .
We really have to hope for a Spursy nosebleed
I’ve just watched the Spuds vs City game, what a waste of a couple of hours. Mourinho is destroying football. Ninety-seven minutes of the parking the bus, two breakaways two goals and that’s it.
rico, the games only end at the end.
Totts are the coolest, most united, most connected, most cohesive and strongest team.
That’s how Arsenal played under Chapman according to my long departed family .
There’s little new in football apart from results being determined by referees in far away places
Morning,
That bit about Artetas poor eyesight is very funny, perhaps he could be fast tracked as a referee,or better still a video assistant referee.
A Wenger is being “ castaway “ @ 11.0 am today,with 8 discs.
Morning all.
Potter, better still, a crash and burn. The thought of them winning the PL is, well, unthinkable. Hopefully Mourinho and his arrogance will cost them soon enough.
New post up now
They do Jm.
Cicero, I wouldn’t mind if we played like that against City if it brings three points.