Most important signing this summer?

Afternoon guys.

From Arsenal.com:

Josh Kroenke:

We’re delighted to have extended Mikel’s contract. Mikel is a dynamic and passionate manager, who is relentless in the pursuit of excellence. He has a deep understanding of Arsenal’s values, and since joining us as Head Coach in December 2019, he has taken the team to another level in an Arsenal way. There is a great collective team spirit at the club, and with the strong relationships we hold between us and belief in what we do, we look forward with excitement and confidence, as we continue our aim – to win together.”

Edu added:

We are really happy that Mikel has signed a new long-term contract. It’s a very positive and proud moment for everyone at the club and an important part of what we’re all working towards.
Mikel has shown his qualities since the very first day he joined us, not only as a football manager, but as a person with wonderful values. We have a strong belief in what we are doing and what we want to achieve together. Mikel’s new contract gives us stability and clear direction as we aim for new heights.

Finally, Mikel Arteta:

I feel extremely proud, very excited and am looking forward to what is coming next. I’m proud to be where I am and have the relationships that I have with everyone at the club. I feel extremely lucky to work every single day with good people and the ambition we have here. I feel very inspired, I feel challenged, I feel supported and I want to do much more than what we’ve already done together. Together with the players and everyone at the club, we are looking forward to the coming years, with our supporters, who have emotionally transformed the club and the team. Our supporters have transformed individuals and we are different now. You can tell that we are different and for me, that is down to them. We look forward to continuing the journey together.

I think it’s fair to say that everyone at the club is thrilled by the news that Mikel Arteta has signed a new contract and I’d imagine the majority of fans are too.

This transfer window might have closed with a feeling of slight disappointment but in the end, the squad is stronger defensively and we finally have a player who can give Bukayo Saka a break. The injury to Mikel Merino is just rotten luck, as is the injury to Riccardo Calafiori. If they and Martin Odegaard were fit for Sunday, you and I would be feeling confident of getting a result.

Josh Kroenke is right when he says “There is a great collective team spirit at the club, and with the strong relationships we hold between us and belief in what we do, we look forward with excitement and confidence, as we continue our aim – to win together.”

Before Arteta’s arrival, the club was in a mess. We had big named players with a big ego who were on ridiculous wages. I know this current board played their part in Aubameyang staying on longer than he should have but at the time, I could understand why extended his contract. The rest though, well they went. In their place came players who fitted into Arteta’s plans and apart from the odd one or two, they’ve been a success. All with the support of the board who in my opinion, shouldn’t be forgotten through this “process”.

You can see they’re a close knit group during a game. Just as you can see they’re working hard for each other as well as the manager and his staff. Team/squad spirit is crucial in every team sport and pre Arteta, Arsenal didn’t have it.

The big giveaway though is the fans. The fans believe again, or at least it seems most do. The Emirates Stadium is no longer a place to go if one wants to read a book in peace. North London Forever is sung loud and with pride and that’s down to Mikel Arteta. He’s the one responsible for the football and results. We’re not perfect, not by a long way but at least now he has three more years to get the club as close to perfection as he can.

Perhaps with a Premier League trophy along the way…

Catch up in the comments.

 

 

 

 

32 thoughts on “Most important signing this summer?

  1. Aussie Geoff says:

    Morning Rico and all,
    Rico I am not sure about your headline, Most important signing, it’s a good signing / extention, but I would have prefered a striker first.

  2. rico says:

    Morning Geoff. I get what you’re saying but because of Arteta and the board, Arsenal are a club to be taken seriously again. We’ve not been that for years. I do though think it’s time for him to win something.

  3. Aussie Geoff says:

    bit hard to judge these two managers against each other, soley on silverware as both had different issues at their clubs to fix, but I do think this is a make or brake season for both but the advantage Arteta has, is support from the owners, players and most fans.

  4. Cicero says:

    How about this for an embarrassing moment. Dame Diana Johnson ( no I’ve never heard of either) the Policing Minister, in our new government, whilst attending a meeting with senior police officers in a luxury midlands hotel to discuss the current “theft epidemic” she had her purse stolen. No doubt “enquiries are being made”, “cctv footage is being examined” and witnesses ” are being encouraged to come forward”. You couldn’t make it up! 😕

  5. kelsey says:

    Morning Rico
    Firstly may I say there is a huge glitch getting on here and I signed up for new emails but don’t get them..
    I know it takes a lot of time and effort to Post nearly daily and I am sure everyone appreciates that..
    I don’t think Arteta walks on water,he is still on a learning curve but maybe I will be proved wrong but obviously he can’t help these countless injuries but I honestly feel he should have strengthened the attack.Trossard imo should start,Martinelli (who I really like)) hasn’t regained full fitness and Jesus (4 PL goals last season) another who gets injured ,isn’t the answer.Saka like last season will be overplayed so not a healthy situation.
    There will be a hostile reception on Sunday at WHL as always and have Know idea who will start without Rice and Odegaard out for at least 4 weeks and Partey will play but just is so slow .
    We are going to struggle with difficult games to come.

  6. Cicero says:

    It is hinted that the reason for Arteta only signing a two year contract extension could be his reluctance to contemplate a second rebuild of the squad.

    It is already clear that other clubs have worked out Arteta’s style of play, to which the present squad were targeted, recruited and schooled in, thus enabling them to counteract that style. In addition a number of the current squad will have reached and, possibly, passed their prime. It is a certainty that some will be gone in the near future.

    Football is an evolving sport, no team can afford to stand still, and no manager can either.

  7. allezkev says:

    Well whatever happens in the future will happen, I’m just going to enjoy the today and tomorrow…

    I’ve not enjoyed watching an Arsenal team play as much as I enjoy the present one since probably 1997/98.

    I heard that the average time a manager stays at any club, across Europe, is 18 months!

    Astonishing if true…

    Arteta has almost earned a carriage clock for his longevity.

    I think the best guess as to how long Arteta will stay is if the players continue to extend their contracts because Mikel being in charge will be a major consideration to any of our top top players re-signing.

  8. Cicero says:

    At the moment injuries are our biggest worry. Last season we were lucky, the only long term injury we suffered was Timber although he had not yet established himself in the team. So far we are in a worse situation, losing two important new signings, Merino and Calafiori, but the most serious loss is Odegaard.

    Merino has barely kicked a ball for us and Calafiori has played only a few minutes of P L action so they can be covered for. Unfortunately we do not have an Odegaard understudy so he will be a serious omission from the starting line-up.

    Arteta has a problem rearranging the midfield and forward line-ups.

  9. Aussie Geoff says:

    I still feel confident we can win this weekend as long as we don’t take too long bringing in the ball from a throw in and watch them for that quick long pass by there keeper.

  10. allezkev says:

    Apparently the agent of Adrien Rabiot has ‘reached out’ to Arsenal…

    He only wants £220,000 per week and probably a 3 or 4 year contract.

    So some £30m or £40m in wages and notwithstanding the agents fees!

    He has had a chequered fitness record so that’s a warning.

    And as you read the scribble it transpires that his agent had reached out to every Premier League club, not just Arsenal.

    Anyway, forget all that, in other news both Califiori and Jesus look set to be available on Sunday…

  11. potter says:

    Kev , as much as they were missed none were as influential to our play as Odegaard who went through the season unscathed. Had he picked up a couple of niggles we might still have Smith-Rowe to fill the gap but now we seem short in that area . Maybe we can use Zinchenko and alternate with Nanwheri but it is a gap that leaves us exposed .
    Arteta’s comments that no-one is ruled out but if he straps up Odegaard it will be open season on that ankle and it may well cause a greater problem in the future.

  12. allezkev says:

    Potter there are several players in our squad who are pretty much irreplaceable and Odegaard is one of them, strangely enough the player with the closest skill set to Martin is actually Nwaneri.

    I’m not sure that Smith Rowe would have started on Sunday even if he had remained at Arsenal?

  13. Cicero says:

    Good morning all.

    A bit of good news, it seems that we are paying less than half of Sterling’s wages. Good on yer Chavs.

  14. potter says:

    My thoughts are that had he had a few more minutes when fit last year he might still be available . It was always on the cards that Odegaard would get clouted and because he got it on international duty and as he was already carrying a knock makes it worse.
    Heaven help us if Raya picks one up too.

  15. potter says:

    Further more Rico , how is your techy mate getting on . It still is a bit difficult . If you read the post and go to read the comments it goes blank and reloads about a minute and then if you do add a comment it goes blank again and just says commenting and I have to refresh to see if it’s been posted

  16. rico says:

    Potter, it’s the same for me. It’s in hand so hopefully it’ll be sorted soon.

    On holiday this week so walking through the New Forest with the sun shining and a mad spaniel… 😂

  17. Cicero says:

    Actually Geoff he’s made some good saves, if he had a half decent defence in front of him he’d have a better time.

  18. Aussie Geoff says:

    Cicero his defenders are not helping him like you said but he has also misted some him self, I think things will change when he has a few more matches under his belt and a better understanding of who he can trust and who he can’t trust.

  19. allezkev says:

    Southampton’s problems started when they missed their penalty, they’re a really poor team and even if Gordon Banks was in goal for them it wouldn’t make any difference to their results.

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