Morning all.
The squad and coaching staff touched down on English soil at 6am yesterday morning. Training was cancelled, no surprise there eh as only a madman would have had them back in yesterday. Certainly the ones who were involved in our victory over Valencia. Unai Emery held his press conference where he was asked about rotation for our final domestic fixture of the season. He wouldn’t confirm either way, instead saying he’ll select players who are hungry to play and in good physical condition.
He might be out of luck on both accounts I reckon, after all we’re away from home against a very physical Burnley side who Sean Dyche won’t give two hoots about our players needing to be fit for a Cup Final in a couple of weeks time. We could do with winning though as fifth is better than sixth as far as our league placing goes.
Manu Petit has had his say on the Arsenal squad and coach. I thought he might lay the boot into the Spaniard in some kind of defence of Arsene Wenger but no, the opposite. Talking to Paddy Power, he’s reported to have said:
There are so many players at Arsenal who need to leave the club this summer. It’s been too long since we’ve seen them compete for the title, and the only way they’ll do it is with an improved squad.
“But, they must continue with Emery, he is not the issue. The fact he reached a European final is big, as is the fact he’s done it with most of the players who are leftovers from the management of Arsene Wenger.
The board just need to give him the power; he can’t continue next season with the same group of players.
“For example, what is going on with Mesut Ozil? He looks like a dead player on the pitch, a ghost. He’s lost in translation. It’s time now for Emery to turn the page.
I like what Petit said but then that’s probably because I agree with him. Certainly about Emery. I do think he needs another season and I certainly believe he needs his players and not the leftovers, as Petit put it. Of course not all can leave at once but this summer should be about clearing the worst of the worse.
Youth players will be sorted through too and it looks like that process has begun with Charlie Gilmour the first to depart. He’s off to Rangers apparently. Good luck to him.
Ivan Gazidis wants Mustafi in Italy. A good move for the player if it’s true. Good start in the transfer window for Arsenal too. Perhaps Gazidis could take Mesut Ozil too. I’m sure the player would like it in Italy as it’s got some beautiful beaches over there. Dortmund are considering offering Mkhitaryan a return to apparently which again would be good if the move comes off.
Utd have started their rebuild already with a move for a Swansea player and that’s the kind of approach Arsenal need too. Get deals done early, show that we have a plan in place. Show that we mean business next season. Not just shuffle through another ten months which resemble the last ten years.
Have a great weekend guys…
Morning all.
Plenty dismissed my suggestion of grabbing Kompany for a season or two, something I came up with based on the fact we desperately need an onfield leader, and that’s fair enough.
However, nobody actually came up with an alternative so either it’s not as easy as we think to get that kind of player at a price we can afford, or they don’t feel leadership is an issue.
Either way, I disagree as it’s been the biggest problem we’ve had on the pitch for years, imo.
On the Burnley game, i’d play best side as they have plenty of time to freshen up before the big one.
Morning Gooners
Morning Rico…
Charlie Gilmour to Glasgow Rangers, I wonder what Steven Gerrard has seen in him that Arsenal haven’t, wishing him a very successful career at the Gers.
Did we get a fee, compensation perhaps, a sell on clause?
Interesting comments from Petit and nothing in them that I’d disagree with although I do find it odd at how so many of Wenger’s ex-players are critical of the work he did at Arsenal in his Emirates years. You don’t get this with ex-Manc players and Ferguson…
Bailly, not for me, fed up signing Manc cast-offs, we really need to be looking elsewhere, the Mancs don’t sell their good players, certainly not to Arsenal…
Scott, we went down that avenue with Lichtsteiner didn’t we, we really need to be looking elsewhere and for players who can stay fit for an entire season…
I like Kompany, he’s a great player and if Wenger hadn’t procrastinated we could have signed him ourselves, but that trains left the station years ago…
Morning Scott, you didn’t ask about an alternative… lol
Morning Kev, what do you make of Gilmour? Didn’t you rate him highly?
No Bailly for me either. We’re better than them so let’s steer clear of their castoffs…
I wonder if we’ll go for The Dippers left back who leaves for free this summer…
Morning Rico and all. A high quality CB is top of the list. Pay the money for Maguire. Replacements for Welbeck, Ramsey (critical) plus another midfielder (perhaps that twat from Leicester) if we can unload Xhaka, new LB and wave goodbye to Ozil too. He has become a ludicrously expensive passenger.
Definitely no Kompany or Bailly.
Kev, we need someone who can demands respect the minute he steps on the pitch, and that wasn’t really Lichtsteiner.
Those type of players aren’t easy to find, and certainly bloody expensive.
Our transfer budget is going to be a critical announcement.
Rico, fair call-I’m asking now 🙂 🙂
Yeah Rico, I liked Gilmour, industrious midfielder, the sort of player that nouveau Arsenal fans get sniffy over because he hasn’t got an exotic name, but very much in the Henderson class of player, you know, the type that beat Barcelona.
Not that I’m saying that Gilmour is Prem quality, but that’s the kind of player I’d like to see added to our squad, someone who can tackle for example….
Moreno, isn’t he on loan in Spain somewhere?
I think that Emery has worked with him before Rico.
A bit like Denis Suarez… 😉
Scott, I think tbh, that Lichtsteiner was respected, I actually loved his attitude, his shithousery, it’s just that his legs had gone.
The interest in Mustafi seems to be growing, which is cool as we might get a decent fee for him if we sell. Inter Milan (Gazides) are thought to be keen…
Since his Crystal Palace debacle I actually think that Mustafi has played well, again, great for the shop window.
Some transfers can seen as a statement of intent, a kind of a message to the fans that the club means business, you know, like signing Alan Ball or signing Dennis Bergkamp, even Mesut Ozil at the time.
You remember where you were when, for example, Sol Campbell signed for us or Alexis Sanchez…
Liverpool’s signing of Van Dyke was one of those and maybe that’s what we need at Arsenal, this summer, a big signing to solve a big issue in our team?!
And Maguire fits the bill, so make it happen Raul…
Morning Adam.
It’s funny how our opinions all differ, good though. If we were to get Maguire, although I can’t see the club parting with the amount they’d need to to sign him, I really hope he proves to be the player we need. I’m not a huge fan as you know, not that it makes me right.
United have that pair of clodhoppers, Jones and Smalling, and if Bailly can’t displace them he can’t be up to much.
Ozil has again said how happy he is at Arsenal, on his money he bloody well should be, looks like we’re stuck with him.
I don’t know Scott. I guess there’s so much to be considered before deciding on a player and for us it’s easy to name names etc but I’ve no idea how much money the board are prepared to invest, what potential signings personalities are like etc etc. Look at Ozil for example, what a waste of money he looks at Arsenal.
If we sign big names with an ego etc, I think we’ll be making a mistake.
Thanks Kev re Gilmour, I thought you rated him. Good points re Henderson and the like. Bit like Ray Parlour really, not flash but a grafter and good footballer. Everything we lack…
He’s injured Cicero…
Middlesboro have the best defensive record in the Championship they have failed to gain promotion their centre back is Spanish 6 foot 4 ” and 28 years old .Nicknamed the rock.
Fan report on twitter :- World class defending from Dani Ayala – smothering the ball on the line to deny unlikely Sheff Wed equaliser against Boro. 💪He had already secured Man of the Match for his forearm smash into Steven Fletcher’s face…and he added icing to the cake. Huge 3 points for Boro .
Not saying thaty he is the answer but I can remember the comments when we bought Bould and Dixon from Stoke, maybe we need to loojk closer to home for a bargain.
A good forearm smash? I’m not sure how high on the list of accomplishments for a centre back that comes in Emery’s estimation Potter. 😉
Been saying similar Potter, big price tag doesn’t mean big performances. I know there’s an argument for Vvd but when I and others mentioned him a few years ago, the idea was sniffed at because he was in Scotland doing well. Now look at him.
If I was a scout, I’d have been looking in the Championship all season because I’m sure there are a number of players who are too good for that league.
Alli is another example. Hate the player but he’s the type of guy we need imo.
We need a big character, imo, not necessarily a big money signing.
Ditto Scott and from what Emery said, he wants big characters too.
That Grealish at Villa really is a cheating little scumbag!
Watching the Play off Semi Final and I hope he gets taken out good and proper!!!
Diving prick!!!
WhenI was looking at the lower leagues Grealish came up but for that very reason I discounted him .
The forearm smash might not have been the way to go but it does show that he is not a man to bully and push around.
I often wonder that if another McLair / Winterburn spat went off , just how many of our current team would jump in.
Potter, Gibbs never touched him yet the lowbreed “won” the penalty.
Damn, these divers get under my skin lol
Grealish has a bit of a chip on his shoulder too I think…
Mkhitaryan’s agent Riaola banned for any transfer dealings until after the English window closes . Looks like we are stuck with him.
Petit says something I’ve said for a long time. Playing with Ozil away, it is almost play with 10. When playing with 3 defenses (or 4) to defend, if Laca and Aubey, move each one to the wings, is Ozil to have to support the middle center. What happens is that Ozil is never where he was supposed to be (unlike Ramsey) and the team gets very exposed. When he played with Ramsey, we had a favorable balance of results out; when Ozil plays, it’s a disaster.
In Valencia, Laca and Aubey made a game of great delivery and wear, a unique game. The team managed to balance, even playing with 10 to defend.
I venture to say, that if Ramsey has not been injured, we could be directly in the Champions League.
Besides we can go to the Champions League winning the Europa League (:-)) or win tomorrow 0-7 and the Totts lost 0-1, in the face of the clubs that are in the finals, is there any chance of going to the Champions League?
I think you’re right about Grealish, Rico.
JM, I’m always more confident when Ramsey plays.
Stats show I have good reason to be as we just win a higher percentage of games when we play than when he doesn’t.
Arsenal women 1 – 0 Man City. A “Kompany” moment for Emma Mitchell. The defender’s eighty-eighth minute rocket into the top corner ensures that City didn’t go unbeaten for the season. Fantastic strike!!
In the face of the furore over ticket allocations, for the Europa League final, UeFa come up with the excuse that Baku airport is too small to handle more than fifteen thousand passengers in one day.
Whoever was responsible for checking that capacity before awarding Baku the match should be strung up by the b***s.
UeFa fit for purpose? I don’t think so!!
Whoever was responsible
Same person that sauntered out of Nyon with pockets stuffed with cash.
That’ll be all of them then. 😉
Interesting thought Scott on Kompany but would City be even vaguely interested?
I tend to agree with looking at the Championship and YES we need a leader with “attitude”, and leadership skills. Midgets need not apply.
Not sure we need to expose Auba or Laca to the brutality of the Burnley mor
Let’s give some of our youngsters who have shown promise a chance to improve on that?
Andorra, I read Kompany is out of contract in the summer, hence my question.
Just a thought-if we got a season or two out of him, it could be a good thing but it’d definitely depend on wage demands.
Wouldn’t get a season or two though Scott, he’s in the same boat as Koscielny…
Morning all.
New post up now