Morning all.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the Mum’s out there. My four legged furry one popped off and bought me a bunch of yellow tulips. Beautiful they are too.
Talking of celebrations, Mikel Arteta turned 40 yesterday. It’s hard to believe he’s been the Arsenal manager for nearly two and half years already.
I feel like I am in the prime of my life. I have three beautiful kids who are growing up, I have a wife who I’m totally in love with and a family who are always there for me, in the difficult moments. – MA
The official Arsenal website have an interview with Mikel Arteta in which he comes across as a man well grounded, open and honest. Someone who surrounds himself with people he loves and trusts.
Does it matter to him that he’s the youngest and least experienced manager in the Premier League?
Honestly, I don’t really think about it, because for me age is relative. It’s relative for me as a manager and also for the way I look at players. Because for me when people say someone has a lot of experience, what does that mean? Experience of what kind? That’s what is more relevant. So how much experience do I have? A lot or a little, I don’t know because I have been in this league for 20 years. So even though I am Spanish I have experience of this country, I have lived here, I understand the league, the culture, the players. – MA
Even though I’ve yet to experience a trip to The Emirates stadium since his arrival, it’s clear to see how the atmosphere has changed and for the better. There were a few groans after the Burnley game according to reports but since then, nothing but happy, and I’d imagine, optimistic fans. Mikel Arteta has certainly got the fans behind him and equally as important, if not more really, those same fans are behind the players.
The domino effect is in full swing isn’t it? Mikel Arteta is confident, the players believe in his confidence and take it on board, they’re happy at work so they’re producing good things on the pitch. They’re working their butts off for each other which is in my opinion, the minimum expectation of a football fan. Just like a good captain, a manager has to lead by example and I think it’s fair to say that Mikel Arteta is doing that. Sometimes it might seem like he’s brutal in the way he casts players aside but if one looks at how much time certain individuals were afforded on the pitch beforehand, perhaps he wasn’t so brutal after all.
I just feel lucky to be part of this club, especially at this moment. And especially now when I feel there is a real sense of unity and when I see there is an energy. When I visualise the club and when I see the Emirates I see energy and direction. I see we are connected as a club and that empowers me and gives me the energy to say ‘we can do this and we believe.’ – MA
Any player who has little or no respect for Arsenal Football Club shouldn’t be at Arsenal FC in my opinion. I think that’s Mikel Arteta’s view too.
What will he being doing in ten years time?
I think I will look older, that’s for sure! I will have some more grey hair but I think I will still have the same passion about what I do. Hopefully by then we will have been able to take the club to a different level. I hope we’ll have made our people very proud of what we’ve done. – MA
That’s what we all want I’m sure and regardless of who the manager is. Right now it’s Mikel Arteta and yes, I really want him to succeed because I want Arsenal to succeed. If by chance he’s still at Arsenal when he turns 50, it’ll be because he and Arsenal have.
See you in the comments.
From Yesterday :- Rashford is a good player but not a true centre forward like say Odegaard’s mate Haaland and I give you ESR or Pepe , Saka , Martinelli and ask is that where we need another player. If Pepe went maybe but we need a true centre forward first.
Morning Rico. Nice words from Mikel, especially about the love and support he receives from his family. I reckon that is very important especially in this uncertain world.
Morning Adam, all.
I really liked his interview. He has so much respect for those around him and the club.
I’m not sure that there is going to be as much churn this summer with the squad, I think that Arteta has pretty much moved on all of those who are likely to cause disruption in the camp and he’s got a tight knit group around him who are on the same page as him.
This coming season is going to be severely convoluted with a World Cup stupidly plonked in the middle of it, only idiots like FIFA could dream that up and shows how unfit they are to run world football, so this summer is going to be key to our squad kicking on. I really hope that Edu has the right deals set up for next summer as our squad is too small for what’s in store.
Is Rashford worth £80m because that’s the price that I’ve seen quoted and I really don’t think he’s worth it?
Calvert Lewin is injury prone and that puts a question mark over him especially as Everton would want big bucks to sell.
I’m hoping that Edu has a Tomiyasu type signing in the works for up front…
We know four are going Kev, unless Lacazette stays and three coming in already with Saliba and the two Americans. If we keep the rest and add two, maybe three then I’d be pretty happy.
If the story is true about Rashford then Arteta must be hoping that he will turn his game around like Ramsdale and Ben White have, how ever saying that I read he is on two hundred thousand pounds per week, and I don’t think he is worth that much considering how little he has played this season.
Rashford to Arsenal is a non starter imo.
G’day all.
A nice cosy interview, a few probing questions about future dealings and tactics might have been more illuminating, but we can’t expect that from an in-house interviewer.
A chilly, foggy start to the day but a clear blue sky and warm sunshine now. The magnolia is in full bloom and the camellias are coming into flower while the first buds are appearing in the apple tree. Spring is definitely arriving.
To be honest I’m not too excited about the recent rumors either.
Agreeing with Kev, I think both Rashford and Calvert-Lewin are overstated in my opinion. They are fine players (along with Watkins and Richarlison) no doubt about that. But we might need more than just a ‘fine player’ or two. Obviously there are a bunch of top players that are well beyond our reach (Mbappé, Haaland, Salah, Kane, Martinez, Jota), but there should be some players who are between the level of these superstars and the ‘PL average’ like Watkins Werner, Rashford and DCL. I would prefer a younger player – preferably someone from the David-Isak-Gouiri-Nunez quartet – as they are young (all 22) thus still expected to improve.
The other option is to buy a winger who is capable of dribbling and long shots, and convert him to a center forward, like Wenger did with Henry. For that role Cody Gakpo would be a perfect candidate, as he is young (also 22), has 17 goals and 15 assist already, and surprisingly affordable.
My 3 targets are Gouiri (12/8 in 2500 minutes), Gakpo (17/15 in 2700) and Nunez (26/2 in 2200). I am positive they are all superior to Calvert-Lewin (3/1 in 800), Rashford (5/2 in 1400), Watkins (7/1 in 2300) and Richarlison (5/3 in 1900), albeit they might need a few months to adapt to the Premier League. And they could be cheaper too.
II didn’t get to join the conversation as I was steering a boat along the Bure to visit St Benet’s abbey and there is spasmodic signal on the broads but I wonder if this interview was a pre cursor to the Amazon exposee we are going to asee at the end of the season and whether it;’s a spoiler to head something off that the cameras have got.
I am sure that Mikel is totally absorbed in his job and at the moment I believe that the players in house at present are on board with him and this is where he has to be careful now with those that he brings in or in the cases of Saliba and possibly AMN he brings back.
It is almost as important that he finds committed supplements to his squad than to bring in raw talent that might upset things.
Morning Rico, it could be more than four going I reckon, Leno, Nketiah, Elneny (?) Lacazette (?) Niles, Guendouzi, Torrieira, Mavropanos, Nelson, Bellerin, Mari (?) but I guess out of sight out of mind, so I guess I’m wrong and there could be a lot of churn although the churn with half of them was last summer, or something like that – you get my drift? 🤔
I forgot about the Americans coming in, Trusty the process and all that jazz.
Morning Kev, all.
I get your drift Kev, plus, I think we’ll a number of the younger players heading out the door, like Azeez..
Sounds lovely Potter, hope the sun shone.
Are there new rules coming in on loanimng players like Azeez .?
And yes it and did the geese and swans and Herons were out in force hardly saw any grebe or coots . and not many ducks either , the otters took a lot of ducklings last year not to mention fish.
Not sure re the rules, one for me to look up.
Otters are a pain, albeit quite cute.
Clubs are set to be limited on how many players they can loan in or out in international deals under new rules.
World governing body Fifa will allow clubs up to eight international loans in and eight out from 1 July.
The number will reduce to seven in 2023-24 and six the following season.
The rules do not apply to domestic loan deals, but Fifa has given domestic associations three years to implement a system “in line” with its new framework.
Fifa says the rule changes – which must be approved by the Fifa Council – will help in developing young players, promote competitive balance and prevent the hoarding of players.
What else will change?
From the 2022-23 season clubs will be limited to making of maximum of three loans to a single club, and can only loan up to three players from an individual club
Loan deals must last at least from one transfer window to the next, and can be a maximum of one year
Clubs must provide a written agreement defining the terms of a loan, including its duration and financial conditions
The new rules are part of plans to reform the transfer system, and were initially due to start in July 2020 but were delayed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Players aged 21 and under, or those brought through a club’s youth ranks, will not be counted as an international loan.
Chelsea currently list 21 players as being out on loan on their website, with eight of those at clubs outside England.
I think that Azeez might well be given a bit more time Rico, either at Arsenal or possibly another loan next season?
I wonder if more clubs will follow the Arsenal model of smaller more cost effective squads especially when considering rocketing costs of having expensive squad players who hardly ever play and also with the quality of youth players coming out of the English academy system, which could maybe see more clubs focusing on developing their youth players whilst having a senior squad of 18/20 players instead of the current 25..?
I hope he is Kev.
If we secure Europa football, it’s going to be good for the academy players I think.
As for Keiran Tierney to Real Madrid for £50m, that would mean Arsenal getting only £42.5m due to a sell-on clause with Celtic for 15% if we sell, so they’d get £7.5m.
I wouldn’t want to sell him anyway, even if we got all the £50m.
I think it’s a Scottish paper rumour put about by Sturgeon , Is the Daily Record owned by Football London by any chance.
Yep the parent company is Reach PLC , owners of the Mirror , Football London , Birmingham Live , Liverpool Echo , Manchester Evening News and about 50 others.that’s how the stories get spread.
As my Dad told me all those years ago . “Dont believe everything you read in the papers.
I’m just writing about that very subject. 😂
I will say no more and keep my powder dry.
Ha ha.
New post up.