Morning all.
Time in Dubai is up. The cold, wet and extremely windy weather will greet the Arsenal squad as they arrive home to the news that Storm Dennis the Menace is on its way. Sounds grim doesn’t it but it’s no different to what we Brits go through after taking a winter vacation. At least the Arsenal guys haven’t had to pay for their break but they have had to work hard. Away from the training ground they’ve enjoyed plenty of downtime together which David Price has captured great moments of on film.
All the photographs I’ve seen online of this mini break have been of the squad/staff together regardless of whether they are training or not but then that’s what Mikel Arteta said this last few days have been about. Getting to know each other that little bit more, bringing the two new signings into the group and making them feel at home. Every player, every member of the backroom staff being part of what not only the next three and a bit months is about but the years ahead too. Some may not be part of next season’s campaign, but all are part of what’s left of this one.
Whilst I don’t give a hoot what the Utd players get up to, isn’t it better seeing our group together than a few heading off to the city’s big celebrity nightclub? I know comparing Dubai with Marbella is like comparing chalk with cheese but even so.
Our opposition on Sunday, Newcastle Utd, have also had the benefit of a break although theirs was delayed for a few days thanks to an FA Cup replay against Oxford Utd which needed extra-time to gain a result. I watched much of that game and Oxford really were unlucky. It seems to be a similar story when one of the lower league clubs come close to causing an Cup upset, ‘if only they could take their chances.’
Mind you, wouldn’t Arsenal be in a very different situation right now if we could take ours? I guess the same could be said for other clubs in the league but ours our more important, to us anyway.
I’m sure the lack of goals is as frustrating for the players as it us and the more the chances go high, wide or get saved, that frustration must build. The pressure too. They don’t miss on purpose, of course they don’t but for the likes of Lacazette, Pepe and Ozil, they need that lucky break. How they break this rotten baron run matters not, they just need to break it and then perhaps the player will relax more through relief as much as anything. I know it’s their job, they should be scoring goals, should be better etc etc etc but they are also human too. It’s very easy for the media, fans even to compare Pepe with Martinelli and suggest it’s the latter who looks like the big money signing but that’s the thing, Martinelli hasn’t that price tag hanging around his neck. The stick everyone who criticises him uses to justify such criticism, whereas if a much cheaper or an unknown player arrives at the club, exceptions are lower from the beginning.
How many times have you/I heard Souness, Carragher or some other football pundit suggest that Arsenal need to go and spend £50m on a defensive midfielder or defender, winger etc? Why should money come into a players value when it’s what they do and how they play which matters more? It’s always been a view I’ve not understood, or believed in for that matter.
On that very subject, Le Havre starlet Pape Gueye is linked with a move to us in the summer. He’s French, 6’ 2” tall and he’s a defensive midfielder. He’d cost around £6 million according to the headlines on NN although transfermarket have him valued for under £2million.
Sports journalist Kike Marin, Spain’s version of David Ornstein perhaps, has been on Twitter with claims that Arsenal have already ‘closed two summer deals.’ Whether he’s referring to Pablo and Cedric is unclear but who knows, maybe Gueye is one of them….
You’re probably thinking it’s too early to be thinking about summer transfers but it’s not. On the contrary because it’s Euros year and players like Gueye will see their price rocket if they have a good tournament so Raul and Edu need to be busy busy right now.
See you in the comments guys…
Hi Rico not only the Euros year but don’t some of these top players get play at the 2020 Olympics or is the transfer market closed by then
Hi All it is a hard decision to make if we buy early we may miss out on some better or the could get injured but if we wait too late and no one better come up we may miss out or have to pay extra
Thanks Rico.
I`m wondering whether the break in a hot climate was a good thing to do when coming back to the extreme cold of the rest of the UK apart from Cornwall, it could be like that SAS: Who dares wins programme having to play any where north of the Tamar.
I was intrigued by that programme and thought that it was a piece of piss to pass, especially the Psychological torture part, being tortured……sorry………married for 44 years I have had extreme training and even the sight of Scott`s under pants after a drunken session of Google imaging Mikel Arteta`s Mankini range cannot break this man!
Off to gym, it`s leg workout day which is my favourite………………………..Tommy Fury would kill for my Quads of Mass Destruction! 😆
Hi Geoff, not sure about the Olympics…
LC, you have a broad imagination bahahahahaha
Morning all.
Spot on, Rico. I have a wishlist already – Grealish and Mings – can’t see us getting them… but one can dream! I hope we have a busy window.
I’m sooooo looking forward to Sunday… at least there have been a few games on over these 2 weeks, as well as some darts, but you can’t beat watching the Arsenal!!
Also, Rico, you are right from the last post about it would’ve been too early for Mikel!
Le Coq… Quads of mass destruction 🤣👍
We all have a wish list Sue. Lol
English players are so expensive so signing someone like Grealish would take a huge chunk of money, money we don’t have allegedly. I guess a lot depends on what happens from now on because a good winning run with other results doing us a favour, top four isn’t impossible although unlikely.
Maybe the board saw that too Sue so opted for a safe option with Emery, with Mikel being the long term target which both club and Arteta knew.
Considering Emery only got a two year contract, it makes sense.
Sue, I absolutely detest Grealish.
He’s as pathetic a diver as I’ve seen and that alone is reason for me to never want the bastard wearing our shirt.
I did want Arteta to replace Wenger, but yes, the timing is now much better for him.
An extra 18 months learning his trade, and some spacing between himself and We her was best all round.
Hasn’t he lost that side to his game Scott?
Haven’t seen him play since early in the season, Rico, but his landing was a 9.8 that day.
Ha ha Scott. I think many clubs are after him, probably this summer so expect a big fee to change hands..
Haha, Scott… well you’d have loved who I wanted us to buy instead of Pepe – Zaha!! 😀
Spot on, Rico with your 11.22 👍
Just saw on Sky that Bournemouth are asking the PL for a Jon Moss investigation after their game on Sunday. I can’t stand him, he’s on par with Mike Dean – both make my blood boil. I hope he has the book thrown at him, although considering Dean is still refereeing, I seriously doubt it!
G’day all.
The list for the BBC Women’s footballer of the year is out and our star striker Vivianne Miedema is on it. Voting closes at 09.00 02.03 2020
Vote early, vote often!! 😉
Looking at SKY stats…………………Grealish is the most fouled player in the EPL.
Off to pick Grandson up, he makes me laugh so much and although I have not taught him to swear(yet), I have taught him to spit!………………….and that is because I will not speak the real name of The Spuds and spit instead, so he will say something like ……….” I hate …..then spits!………..obviously not in dooors! hahaha
Sue,
My hatred of Zaha is well
documented 🙂
Rico, the lads got immense talent, but then, all the best divers seem to be damn good players.
LC, winning fouls and actually being fouled are two very different things mate.
He’s a cheating little bastard imo.
Denis Bergkamp won Oscar after Oscar plus Olympic medals for his diving abilities! Did I care? No I did not. (Well maybe a bit) but there’s no doubt that he was a fabulous footballer.
Evening all
Evening everyone, Mmmmm , not sure if I agree with your assessment of Bergkamp Wavy. He did like using his elbows a bit, but he wasn’t a prolific diver. Maybe it was just my Rose tinted specs though 😉.
I’m with Scott, I don’t want any more cheating divers in the team. We already have a bit of a name for ourselves.
Ha, I bet it is Scott!! I think I’m the only person that likes Zaha 😀
Not sure of the difference of having Pepe or Zaha both have 3 goals Pepe from 5 games less . Pepe was expensive and Zaha would have been too .Zaha has 3 yellows as well.
For actual effectiveness same meat different gravy.
I don’t like players making the most of contact, but can kind of condone it….just 🙂
Zaha and Grealish dive with no contact at all, and actually force contact on other occasions.
There is no defending that imo and yes, we do have a few doing it.
I do agree both are immensely talented footballers and good enough to play for the Arsenal, though.
Personally, I’d rather go to Marbella than Dubai. As for diving, Zaha is far, far worse then Grealish, who would be great for us, and is about as divey as Torreira I’d say.
And Guendouzi Adam.. I’d rather Marbella too but not the night clubs. The sea and sand though is a big yes.
There’s a new post up now.