Morning all.
For Arsenal fans, a transfer window is all about who the club is going to sign. A midfielder, defender, striker, winger, you name it, we want it, but I think it matters not who the club, or any football club signs if on the training ground, things aren’t right. If players don’t believe in the manager and his staff, things aren’t going to be great on a match day. Every single player has to believe in what they’re being asked to do and who’s asking them to do it.
As well as being busy signing players last summer, Mikel Arteta went back to Manchester City and snapped up set-piece coach, Nicolas Jover. It was the kind of move which I wished Arsene Wenger had made during the second half of his twenty year stay at Arsenal. Whilst Arsene had defenders who knew what they were doing and a midfield in front of them, things were easy for him but when it came to recruiting and coaching new defensive players, well, he wasn’t very good at it. There were all sorts of rumours about him not letting the defensive coach do his job etc, which if true didn’t do him any favours, but if false, he clearly didn’t employ the right people because we were awful at defending.
Unai Emery came and went, Mikel Arteta arrived and yet still, the defending wasn’t particularly good. Nor was the recruitment. 18 months later, Mikel Arteta and Arsenal not only signed specific players for specific positions but signed Jover too and he’s made a difference. Certainly in the way we defend set-pieces. The fact that Arsenal are yet to concede a goal from a corner is incredible really. The Calum Chambers celebration after coming off the bench to score from our own set-piece will stay in my mind for a long time because Calum said, it was because of Jover and his coaching, he scored.
Reading around the Arsenal internet world, I’ve seen a number of comments about Mikel Arteta being a bit of a control freak, it’s his way or the highway, but I don’t think that’s the case. I think he’s just disciplined and wants his players to be the same. How can he do his job to the best of his ability when he’s got naughty school children at the back of the class trying to disrupt his lesson? He can’t. A control freak doesn’t seek help to solve something which isn’t working, he buries his head in the sand and carries on, hoping the problem will resolve itself.
Look at the seniors players currently out on loan. I know I’m guilty of criticising some of Arteta’s decisions, well, the loaning out of AMN, but looking back, I was wrong. Would any of the other senior players out on loan get into this Arsenal team? No, not in my opinion. Would the Arsenal fans be singing their hearts out at home and away if they were still watching Auba miss chances, Guendouzi losing the ball and falling over, Bellerin being roasted with ease each week, or Alex Runasson warming up ready to replace an injured Bernd Leno? Absolutely not in my opinion.
Being a football fan is tough. We live in the moment and emotions fluctuate, or at least mine do but I think the way we played against Man City in January and Liverpool just a few days ago showed that as a club, we’re in a much much better place than we were when Mikel Arteta walked through the door with his managers hat on.
I don’t think we’ll secure a Champions League spot though because Totts have a ‘easier’ run in than us and if we don’t, so be it. It certainly won’t be through the lack of trying.
See you in the comments.
Hi Rico,
Nice post as usual. Why do i think you are playing mind games re champions league qualification?
Champions league ? I would say chances are 50/50 . The game against Spurs will be important and is probably why the date is yet to be set as the powers that be look for a bumper t.v audience.
I have no doubt that we will drop points but I believe that others will too.
Our job is to accumulate as many as possible and make sure that if we don’t get the big prize , we at least qualify for the second place . We dont really want the third one , so it’s in our hands and down to us .
Totts have found a bit of form though and Utd will probably get a few favourable decisions go their way.
Morning Rico. I wonder if the Spurs game will be Mike Dean’s final f..k U to us before he fits us up again from his role as VAR supreme next year?
It might prove just too tempting for Riley to resist.
Good Morning Rico and all
Nice post boss
Gabriel Martinelli will be considered as a homegrown player next season.
He was signed in July 2019, and has been registered for 3 consecutive seasons before turning 21. Saliba the same. Thus both of them will count as HG from next season on.
In the meantime, qArsenal want to quadruple Bukayo Saka’s salary to reflect his status as one of their most important players, with the club now preparing to offer him a new weekly deal worth around £125,000pw to end any speculation about a summer move.Whether Arsenal finish in CL places will have no bearing on Saka’s new Deal. The talks will be led by Richard Garlick, who is under instructions from both Arteta & Edu to secure a deal without any haggling, tying Sakafor a long term.
I said for ages that Wenger neither understood the importance of defending nor how to coach defenders. His attitude was that his team could always out score his opponents.
Arteta has shown an altogether different mindset, he’s improved our defence beyond recognition by buying good defenders, who could fit into his chosen style of play, and sticking with his favoured line up whenever possible.
As far as building a defence is concerned, job done. Now a bit tinkering with the midfield and the appointment of a decent central striker should see us move forward as a team rather than a disparate group of individuals.
I’m gradually coming round to believe in Arteta as a very good coach, it remains to be seen if, in concert with Edu, he can morph into a successful manager. The next transfer window will be a good test of his potential.
Morning Adam, it wouldn’t surprise me at all. Dean has not officiated many of our fixtures this season.
Morning Rico and all
I’m still not 100% committed to Arteta but have warmed to him a bit more now than the beginning of this season, I will wait until the end of the season to see were we finish but more importantly who we buy and sell and to a lesser extend loan out
Morning Devil, thanks.
Cicero, good job he inherited an excellent back line and keeper. I sometimes wonder how good we might have been had Arsene been able to delegate. His defensive signings apart from an odd few were terrible.
Rico, Wenger’s defensive woes started when that back line retired he then bought a string of flops.
Is that about Saka from AFC.com Devil?
Absolutely Cicero. Apart from Campbell, I can’t think of a top notch centre back he signed.
Stepanovs?
What a joke his signing was Adam.
Rico, Aubameyang missed chances are unbelievable. I have watched all his games at Barce. Although he has scored 9 in, I think, 11 games, he has missed about another 9 sitters. He and Torres are horrible. I don’t think Arsenal would’ve been able to afford him missing so many chances. As for a striker I would play Martinelli on top flanked by Smith-Rowe and Saka. On the other hand, Xhaka needs to go though, he’s a ticking time bomb.
No Rico. I found it on another site and summarized it. but it wasnt on the official website
Agree Obi, on both Auba and Xhaka but I wouldn’t be surprised if Xhaka stayed if we secured European football. Arteta seems to love him too.
Ah, ok Devil so it’s not factual.
I wasn’t too sure about Arteta, his antics on the touchlines seem to be a distraction for the players, his out burst at Anfield only gave the home fans their voice as we were slowly dominating the game and frustrating them. I still don’t like the way he berates officials, it will only go against us. I still believe fourth or third spot is in our hands, one game at a time and we are winning the games we were losing last season. The solidarity is a joy, but one or two injuries, and we I believe will go against us. Our depth i the team is small, and we need good back up players. Yes I can see where Arteta is going and so do the players, a lot of fans are on board, the atmosphere at The Emirates, no longer toxic. We are three or four players short from competing for the major trophies but it is in the right direction
Forever. Must admit, I felt the same about the touchline stuff etc and I certainly see no point in winding up Riley. Same wit( the fixtures, moan at the end of the season, not now.
But yep, he’s certainly taking us in the right direction.
Hi Rico
Your blog is still a must read, with many fine contributors.
Hi Kev and Adam, hope you’re both well.
I have to admit, Rico, I never rated him as a player, and coming in straight after you know what at OT, I thought he was a very underwhelming choice, and I never warmed to him.
Personally, I believe Arsenal would be in a better position if Unai Emery had been offered the wholesale support that Arteta has been given.
It has been an incredibly expensive journey so far, and we are only back at the ‘Jam tomorrow’ promises rolled out in the summer of 2006.
Our record this season against the top three is atrocious, we are still flat-track bullies, beating teams we’re supposed to beat. In seven games (including the two Lge Cup semifinals), Arsenal have scored just one goal, with just Chelsea away to come.
We have a lot of exciting youngsters who have dug Arteta out of a hole, keeping them is key, but players like Bukayo Saka and ESR will need to be convinced that Arsenal can compete consistently at the top level.
For me, Arteta has Arsenal at par, he certainly isn’t overachieving, but I give him credit for improving us defensively, and for the signing of Martin Ødegaard, who improves us immensely.
The current trajectory feels good, and with the right additions in the summer Arsenal could really go places.
I do believe Arteta aims high, hopefully he can put Arsenal on that pantheon.
God Bless you, Rico.
Hi Herb, good to see you back and thank you.
I didn’t rate Arteta very highly as a player either, and I certainly wasn’t thrilled when he was appointed as manager. I agree re Emery not being given support, just as he wasn’t given the players he wanted. I’m warming to Arteta but there’s a long way to go yet, especially in the transfer department. We’re a long way off from having a squad which can challenge for the PL and competing in Europe.
Hi Herb. Welcome back.
I have just realized that both scorets of our first ever EPL goal and the scorer of our 2000th goal have the same initials….SB…..Steve Bould and Bukayo Saka.
Welcome back Herb. Always nice to read your views
Saliba has been called up for France.
“I believe Arsenal would be in a better position if Unai Emery had been offered the wholesale support that Arteta has been given.” – very well said, Herb, my thoughts exactly.
Nevertheless Arteta did improve our defensive stability, but unfortunately at the expense of our chances created. And our goal difference is far from ideal, we might even tumble our top 4 competition with Tottenham in a case of point-equality.
Contrary to popular misbeliefs Mikel is not relying on youth players. At all. Being an academy prospect is harder than ever in the last 25 years. I’m not even sure if it possible to be less supportive to an academy…
Arteta made a lot of mistakes, but now he seems to start delivering and coming through. And while it’s hard to forget or forgive how he destroyed club property (as in disposing players), I’m willing to give him a clean slate if we finish in the top 4, and hoping that those were rookie mistakes, which are hopefully already behind him.
I think we’re creating enough chances now but we’re not taking them. As far as goals scored goes, it’s very much the younger players who’re scoring them.
Curious to know whose removal enabled the club to be destroyed .
There is only one leader in a wolf pack and for better or worse at the moment it’s Arteta . If the others don’t want to follow him then either he goes or they do .
Some players came for an easy ride under Wenger and did not like his replacement and after they had got shot of Emery Arteta realised that he had to expel them or his tenure was not going to work.
Hear, hear Potter.
For what it’s worth Arteta has got my vote. 4th is quite possible but 5th would be really disappointing. However, he’s heading the club in the right direction.
As for Emery, it wasn’t really about the players he had bought for him, it was more about his inability to communicate meaningfully with the players, in any language, that cost him by ‘losing the dressing room’ and subsequently, his job. Nonetheless, he’s doing well enough at Villarreal, perhaps because most, if not all his present squad speak Spanish, his native tongue!
Hi Herb how are you doing, me and mine are well thanks.
Thanks for the warm welcomes, Rico, Adam, Devilgunner, Pbarany, Kev.
All good thanks Kev.
You make a very valid point about the communication issue, Wavy, but I think there were internal politics preventing Emery doing his job.
Emery was undervalued and largely under appreciated at Arsenal because he was the stop-gap until their preferred choice, Arteta became available.
Emery wasn’t the wrong choice because he wasn’t good enough for Arsenal, he was the wrong choice because his CV deserves a lot more respect than to be cast in the role of a ‘stop-gap’ manager.
He was put in a no-win situation, and those around him made it practically impossible to succeed by completely ignoring his wish-list of players and presenting him with grossly expensive flops such as Nicolas Pepe.
Agreed, HerbsArmy – which made knocking us out of Europe all the more sweeter! I’m really pleased to see him doing so well; considering so many had written him off in the CL..
I’m also one of a few who quite liked Emery, but the board during his time were toothless and too in control who who came and left.
I know Mikel Arteta will get a lot of praise, much of which has been earned, but had the board not supported him, he’d be in the same position as Emery was.
Still, besides some questionable choices like Lichtsteiner and Suarez as well as proven yet unexciting players at the end of their career like Sokratis and Luiz Emery managed to purchase some unknown gems that were proven to be master signings. I primary refer to Martinelli, but Guendouzi’s 45M valuation after only 18 months doesn’t seem inflated (in the light of him being captain of the French U21 side and since than in and around the French national team – competing with Tchouaméni, Rabiot, Kante, Veretout and Pogba for the CM/DM places), and Torreira also managed to reach his pre-Covid peak value of 50M in less than half a season. Yes they were either unfit to Arteta’s vision of the club’s tactics or seriously mismanaged (probably both) but just thinking about the 75M gap between selling them at the right time and banishing them and than selling when it’s obvious they have no future at the club, the difference is more than Vlahovic’s purchase price just makes me sad.
But I’m really pleased with Emery’s 20-25M signings which were less gambling but already proven yet underappreciated players that could become world class with proper coaching. Tierney is definitely such player and I consider Leno as a really good purchase too. Maybe he is/was not perfect for a club preferring to play out from the back, but he was a clear upgrade to our all goalkeeper since Lehmann, and was a reliable presence and a contender for the German #1 jersey. His 22M price wasn’t high either. And I wouldn’t consider Saliba a wrong signing, I think his exile could be an ego issue, or just the regular mismanagement.
Herb made a good argument about the package/support Emery wasn’t getting. He made only a single signing above 30M, while Arteta already made 3 and there are many in the making. And when we say “our player selling practices still suck, but at least our purchases are finally on the right track” don’t forget that Martinelli and Tierney were signed under Unai, the decline of Guendouzi, Torreira and Leno are by no means Emery’s fault, and for every poor signings like Lichtsteiner, Suarez or Pepe (who is not bad at all, just was really expensive) there is a Rúnarsson, a Mari (who is also not a bad player, but his 13M + salary seems a bit expensive for playing 1800 minutes in 2 years) and a Willian. And the jury is still out on Trusty and Turner.
I don’t think Unai Emery had a say in signings though, I’m sure he’s alluded to that since leaving.
He wanted Zaha, not Pepe, N’Zonzi instead of Torreira. At least that’s how the story goes. Raul was Arsenal’s problem in my opinion, with his agent driven signings.
New post up now