Morning all.
The season kicks off again for Arsenal tonight but Mikel Arteta’s press conference was more about January. The transfer window, no signings and the departure of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Calum Chambers too but of course, his story isn’t as interesting. Or as dramatic.
Is the squad strong enough?
We did what we believed was the right thing to do, first of all with the players that had to leave. The squad composition and the contract situations were catching up in many of those situations and we had to make decisions and be fair as well with players who have not had a lot of minutes this season. That is what we did and then we had a very clear plan of what we could do and then it has to be doable. Edu and his team did a fantastic job and they continue to do that, but we are very clear: we only want the best people and the best players at this club and when we are in a rush or different pressures, and the reasons are not the right ones to get a player on board, we decided not to do it.
Best people, best players – excellent. I can’t wait for the summer…
Mikel Arteta went on to talk about the trust he has in the players he has. Their spirit, togetherness and quality, enough to achieve whatever it is the club hopes to achieve this season. That is, high level performances, having the fans on board, which is key Arteta said, and a good go at finishing the season well. Taking things game by game.
I did smile though when Arteta said that the importance of Auba’s goals at the club is unquestionable. In previous seasons perhaps but this one? Well, I’ll leave it there. I hope he’s right about having other players with different qualities who can score the amount of goals we need in the team. Time will tell.
Anyway, Takehiro Tomiyasu might be back tonight.
He’s there. He had a recurring injury in the same place so we have to be careful with him but he’s been training hard. Let’s see if he’s available or not.
I hope he’s fit, 100% fit and stays that way until the end of the season. Same goes for all our squad because we’re going to need them. Cedric Soares is fit again, Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka are available after serving their respective suspensions plus both Mohamed Elneny and Nicolas Pepe are back from international duty. I doubt Elneny will be involved tonight though.
So, what to expect from Wolves? They’re very good defensively, conceding just 16 goals in 21 matches so far this season. Man Utd, City, Liverpool and Chelsea all struggled to break them down. City and Liverpool scored just the once, which whilst enough to secure all three points, shows how organised Bruno Lages’ side are defensively. Wolves have managed to score just 19 goals though, a figure which makes our 33 look better than it really is.
Tuesday and last night’s results have opened a door for Arsenal. Certainly the defeat for Totts against Southampton as they are the only club around us with a game in hand. Utd dropping points was good for us too but that only helps Arsenal if Arsenal help themselves by winning tonight. A draw wouldn’t be a disaster albeit a disappointment. What is important is a positive and strong performance. Organised and disciplined too.
See you in the comments.
Michael Oliver reffing , Lee Mason VAR . Oliver’s 5th go this season and 3 yellows and 1 red so far.
There may be trouble ahead.
Good morning Rico since December 2019, when Arteta took over, twenty first-teamers have left either on loan or permanently. That number is due to rise in the summer Lacazette, Nketiah and Elneny are out of contract and Leno is expected to depart too. Of that twenty only only two left for significant fees, Willock £25 million and Martinez for £20 million.
Arteta has regularly said “It takes time to build a squad”. Far from building a squad he seems to be doing his best to demolish our one.
Morning all!
Wait and see
Morning Rico and all
I would believe a word that Arteta says, before the January draft Arteta said we are going to be busy getting in players to strengthen our team, now he says something totally different, it seems to me he just wants everyone out who was at the club before he started coaching at except for for 2 or 3 players.
Morning Cicero, Geoff, all.
Oliver? He used to be honest..
But do we miss any of the players who’ve gone Cicero?
I don’t think he said the club would be busy signing players Geoff, just busy.
Many managers have a good squad sort out though.
We already have Rico, when Partey and Elneny went to the AFCON and Xhaka got banned while AMN was loaned out our midfield was significantly weakened.
Of the twenty, eight are out on loan, Runnarson, Mavropanus, Saliba, Bellerin, Guendouzi, Torreira, AMN and Nelson. Of those I believe only Saliba is likely to return to Arsenal where there is actually vacancy in his position.
After the January window shambles, I have little confidence in our management team’s ability to fill the gaping holes in our depleted squad.
Ah yes, I forgot that Cicero.
Rico I’m still happy to eat humble pie but after the last few weeks I’ve moved it from my freezer to the deep freezer in the garage
I’m not sure even Saliba will return, although having another right back option wouldn’t go a miss.
Geoff, I have even made one yet.
Rico, I suggested Saliba only because he hasn’t had the opportunity to piss Arteta off by arriving late for training, going awol after an International break or spilling his diet cola on Arteta’s office carpet. 😉
Cicero, he had a swipe at Arteta when he left on loan though.
Well I hope that can be put behind them as I think Saliba could prove to be a true asset as an addition to our squad.
I would like to see Pepe play up front tonight instead of Lacazette, use the pace of Saka, Martinelli and our record signing to run the Wolve’s defence ragged for an hour and then bring on Laca when they are all knackered.
Afternoon, all.
These are the guys I miss the most released in the past 3 seasons.
Already established players:
– Nacho Monreal (but to be fair, Emery let him go)
– Aaron Ramsey (he was a greedy bastard, and wasn’t always consistent, but he scored some important goals)
– Emi Martinez (I wouldn’t blame on Mikel either, he made some demands that were close to impossible to meet)
– Mesut Özil (he was the talisman player for our last good season; the lack of motivation and the undeserving departure are on Arteta, but probably was already a lost cause)
– Calum Chambers (a lovely guy with a great attitude, was patient for the opportunities but usually used them to make the coach’s selection more difficult)
– Hector Bellerin (even at a young age he was one of the best RBs in the PL, but his development was not supported properly, but he used to be the perfect balance between defense and offense)
– Dani Ceballos (he showed glimpses of talent and was effective at times both defensively and offensively, but honestly I don’t miss him that much, but needed a LM/LW to have a complete starting line-up)
(Possibly missed) stars for the future:
– Matteo Guendouzi (Arsenal invested a lot in him – in terms of minutes – and was on a upward trajectory; the reasons behind his exile are not convincing, plus he made it to the France national team)
– Reiss Nelson (my favorite guy from the academy, was mistreated by the club and on loan too; I still think he is destined to greatness)
– Dino Mavropanos (a tall guy, but more importantly the best defender Arsenal had in their ranks, a top 3 CB in Germany, successor of Sokratis role in the Greek team – his fate embodies the incompetence among Arsenal’s decision makers)
– Eddie Nketiah (had an amazing scoring record at youth level for both club and country; if given the same support and minutes as Saka, he would be the next Vlahovic/Mbappé)
–––––––––––––Martinez–––––––––––––
Bellerin–Chambers–Mavropanos–Monreal
–––––––Guendouzi–––Ramsey––––––––
––Nelson––––––Özil––––––
––––––––––––––Nketiah–––––––––––––
Subs: McGuinness, Ballard, AMN, Willock, Balogun
Ehh, forgot to add Ceballos to the line-up below.
But those 10 players did infect deserve more, in therms of minutes, chances, or even a proper farewell…
@PB I think Madrid wanted £40m for Ceballos. Slow and caught in possession a lot, but could pick a pass. Reminds me of Xhaka.
Pepe or Martinelli for me, but I think 100% it’ll be Captain Lacazette.
Imo, Ceballos had a pretty good first season with us but the second was disappointing.
Hi Rico.. Time to see if Dubai has paid off – have to admit though I’ll be really surprised if we win tonight, but not so surprised if we concede a penalty or go down to 10 men haha! As you can see I still have a hangover from last month, miserable sod 🤣
It’s been an enjoyable week so far in the PL – let’s not ruin it hey?!! 🙈 Can’t see Tomi making it…
No surprise in the line-up:
––––––––Ramsdale––––––––
Soares–White–Gabriel–Tierney
–––––Xhaka–––Partey––––––
–Saka–––Odegaard––Martinelli
–––––––––Lacazette–––––––––
But there are a few surprises among the subs:
Okonkwo, Awe, Holding, Tavares, Elneny, Lokonga, Smith Rowe, Pepe, Nketiah
pbarany.. I agree with your 3.16. Such a shame we don’t always get to bid farewell to our players. Ozil, Guendouzi and Auba for me.. *lump in throat*
Leno’s ill apparently which is why Okonkwo is in..
Hi Sue, I’m gathering splinters as always.
Shame Tomi isn’t fit.
They haven’t all gone yet, they’re only on loan. 😝
1-0 to the Arsenal 🙂
Get in Gabriel…
Both Xhaka and Partey booked now. That’s a worry.
They never learn rico. A shirt pull near area will always be a yellow. Especially if it’s Xhaka. To be fair, Oliver waited a while before getting out first card. Evening all.
Xhaka just can’t help himself.. did he think by fist-bumping Oliver in the tunnel he’d go easy on him?!! We see the same thing every week; tugging shirts, reckless lunges, needless fouls, so frustrating. Is that 5 yellows in a row??
Andrew, they’re stupid. Never learn.
Should have let him go to Roma Sue.
Another one??!!! Unbelievable…
Down to ten men. Again!
Jota can’t stop scoring – if only we had someone like that… sigh
Phew!
Good win barring the red card. Never expected that result tonight.
If only Sue..
Tense
Happy campers. 😂
How many games have we managed to finish with 11?
Laca is too slow to run.
I don’t understand how it is possible to say that we don’t need a forward center.
We have a very short solutions team.
Once again it gives the idea that we have a team under construction.
Well it’s given me a headache!
Stupid 2nd challenge, but tad unlucky for a play-on rather than foul, then two yellows given for one movement. It could only happen to us.
The players if they haven’t already worked it out need to be told that refs can’t wait to send them off .
Any excuse will do and when you are down to ten try passing and keeping the ball . All this punting to no-one is no good for my heart.
That’s me Rico .
Massive 3 points – despite our best efforts to implode! We’ve [finally] capitalised on those around us dropping points!!! Happy bloody days!
In some ways I sympathise with Martinelli. Whilst he had the beating of their defenders he never really had much support, Lacazette was way to deep and way too slow. I do think Martinelli’s first yellow was entirely due to frustration, the second was just plain stupidity.
The commentators gave Gabriel MotM but I thought Ramsdale was more deserving.
Hey ho, one goal, a clean sheet, three points, one sent off. Just a normal day at the office. 😉
I thought that Eddie made all the difference when he came on at the end…
There is a great dispute on the legitimacy of the second yellow following no warning on the first . The F.A’s rules on advantage are as clear as mud and hard to interpret .Although Keith Hacket said on the radio that it was one yellow and of course Peter Walton followed Riley’s line and said it was two .
When our backs are to the wall Nketiah is not the answer. Lacazette was blowing out of his backside and needed to go off but Nketiah was not going to score the goal that would have put the game to bed or hold the ball long enough to allow us up the field.
However the much criticised Rob Holding vs. Wolves:
• 19 minutes played
• 9 clearances (at least three more than anyone else)
• 3/3 duels won
• 1 interception
• 1 shot blocked
Doesn’t deserve the amount of time he spends on the bench.
Good win but the result could have easily been the opposite way around, Ramsdale saved us again, maybe we should have saved the money from the Dubai trip to buy a striker
I finished the Reacher season on Cicero’s recommendation and I found quite some similarities with our game last night.
It started well, managed to build up the tension, the characters were likeable, but the opponents seemed to be capable of nasty things. Than the middle became a bit boring before the good guys were betrayed by someone who should have been reliable per definition. Eventually the conclusion was a bit of a let-down, so the aftertaste was bitter, but the overall impression is positive and I’m looking forward to seeing the next installment.
Morning all.
New post up.
Pbarany, you’re hard to please. 😜