Morning all.
Jurrien Timber finally arrived at Arsenal yesterday. The 22 year old defender from Ajax is an exciting signing I think, not because I’ve seen him play but from what I’ve read. His level of concentration, tackling and passing is reported to be his strengths, his passing range is short, quick and accurate.
“I was never that good at his age,” said Dutch international teammate Virgil van Dijk. Both club and country player Daley Blind added: “I don’t need to explain how good he is.” However, perhaps the biggest piece of praise came from the legendary Van Basten: “Ajax is playing great football thanks to Jurrien Timber and the national team is playing great football thanks to him, too,” he has said of his fellow Utrecht native. (Taken from A.F.C.Com)
Both Edu and Mikel Arteta spoke about finally getting their man:
Edu:
We are very happy to bring Jurrien to Arsenal. He is a player that we have admired for a long time, so it’s a credit to everyone in our team that made this happen. Jurrien is a young talented international player, who fits our vision of competing with a young strong squad. I know Jurrien cannot wait to get started and we’re really hoping that he will be a great success here for many years.
Mikel Arteta:
We’re really excited that Jurrien has joined us. He is a versatile young defender, who will fit into our system and provide our squad with so much added quality. Jurrien is a young player, but has already achieved so much. He has experienced what it’s like to go to a major international tournament on more than one occasion, as well as the trophies he has won with Ajax. We look forward to welcoming and integrating Jurrien into the squad.
The Arsenal family continues to grow ❤️ pic.twitter.com/VovE3Zt24J
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) July 14, 2023
Centre-back or right-back Jurrien?
I think that I’m lucky to say that I can play as a central defender, as a right full-back, sometimes even on the midfield. So I think that’s a good thing and I need to keep that. I just like the way Arsenal play, is a bit similar to Ajax’s style and I like to play from the back. I can see a lot of similarities, especially in the way Arsenal and Ajax want to play.
Three positional options in one signing which is very similar to Ben White as having started his Arsenal career at centre-back, was excelled at right-back throughout last season. Like Timber, White can also play in midfield and did so occasionally whilst on loan at Leeds in 2019/20 and again during his final season at Brighton.
Declan Rice is next to walk through the door. Hopefully today. Yes he’s been a long time coming, not helped by the media has trying to convince us all that something could yet go wrong, but West Ham have now confirmed Rice has left the club. Rice has said his goodbye and thanks to the fans on social media, so photos of him in an Arsenal kit are imminent I’m sure.
He’ll be on the aeroplane heading out to the USA tomorrow I’m sure as these next couple of weeks are crucial as far as preparation for the new season goes. He, Timber and Havertz have a lot to learn about Mikel Arteta and his expectations of them, time to get used to their new teammates and how Arsenal as a club behave.
Theres little doubt the club have signed three extremely talented footballers, all who are yet to reach their peak years but what’s gone on before at their respective clubs is history. Now it’s a new beginning and only what they do for Arsenal counts. They have to bring their proven quality into an Arsenal team/squad and make a difference to what already is a very good group of players. Same applies to Flo Balogun who had a very good season in France on loan but it’s what he does now which will either convince Arsenal to keep or sell him. Mikel Arteta has said he’s staying at Arsenal but his comment included a ‘for now’ at the end. Time will tell but if Arsenal sell him, I think it’ll prove to be a mistake.
Three weeks tomorrow we’ll be playing Man City in the FA Community Shield Cup at Wembley.
Catch up in the comments.
Good morning Rico, the more I read about Timber the more I think we’ve got a real bargain.
If it’s becomes necessary I’m sure we could all put up with a little inconvenience from a few ads.
Morning Cicero, me too. Really looking forward to seeing him play.
I’m not fussed about the ads, in fact in a time when scammers are prolific, probably best to leave them alone.
Rico,👍
We’re all assuming that Timber is going to play as an inverted right-back – or many of us are, he could also do a job in central defence to give Saliba a break, but maybe Arteta sees him as a D/M much as Wenger saw Petit some 26 years ago. Yes it really is that long ago….
Rice Rice baby is through the door…
I think he’ll do both throughout the season Kev, same at left back with Jakub. Tomi too.
At last we complete our three major signings and I wouldn’t be surprised that there is more to come.
I think there might be one or two more too. Plus a few exits.
Well they are both through the door now , I wonder if Timber will be the one we won’t remember or the one we won’t forget. ?
The one we won’t forget I reckon. I keep wanting to type ‘lake’ after his surname though. Lol
Yes, you’re probably right Rico, I love the versatility of so many of our players, dare I say it’s a throwback to the initiators of Total Football, the Dutch and having a squad of players who are comfortable in any position on the pitch and able to play a variety of positions if need be…
It reminds me of 2001 and 1995…
Yes Kev, proper options rather than any one player just being shoved around to fill a position. We’ve signed players who really can play as well in several positions.
We’ll that seems to have satisfied my hopes, “a dream come true, Gary.” As you might say!
Rice for Xhaka, Timber for, well any of the four of them. I don’t think he’ll replace White most in danger is Gabriel imo, he’s a bit prone to the expensive error or was towards the end of last season. Zinchenko(sp) could also become more of a bit part player, although I’ve a lot of time for his playing style. Or will Timber be a very reliable ‘first defensive’ change. We’ll have to wait and see how the chef sees it..
In Arteta we trust! It’s taken a while but I think he’s won most fans over as we can all put faith in the probable positive outcome of the ‘project’!
Rice is the icing on the cake let’s wish him a long and highly successful career at the Arsenal.
Havertz has had a real bad deal at a rapidly decomposing Chelsea. He’s a far better player than we saw stuttering through game after game at the toxically doped Russian roubles wreck. Saw him play a few times when he was still in Germany and I thought him a bit of a ‘player’ . He has never produced the same form here, yet, but I think we’ll see a player reborn after the coaches have reawakened the player he was. At least I hope they do. Will he be the new Jesus??
Roll on the Charity Shield, just hope we don’t win it! (Which ever club wins it rarely if ever wins the league 38 games later!
Thanks Rico et al for carrying the site through another long and difficult summer with blogs that are always well worth a read and always positive!
Hi Rico.. apparently he’s (Timber) not as good as his twin brother Shiverme – sorry that was awful 🤣🤣 I’m so glad the Rice saga is officially over now. He looks so good in our kit. He’s going to be massive for us, what a signing!
Looking forward to our friendlies in the US of A and yes, I paid for them – all helps to pay for Rice hey?! 😊
Well done Sue, I had to read that three times before I got it. 😊
Well said re Havertz Wavy, I’ve seen a fair bit of negativity about him already and yet he’s barely kicked a ball in an Arsenal shirt.
Hi Sue, very good. 😆 Apparently he has quite a few brothers, we should have signed them all. Lol
Haha nice one, Cicero 👍
Exciting times, Rico 🙂
I think so too Sue. I hope we keep Partey unless another midfielder signing is planned and I’d rather Balogun stayed. I think he’d get more goals than Jesus and Nketiah put together..
Just out of curiosity. Is D. Rice that much better than Partey? Imho, no. So how much better have we improved if Partey is sold?
Obi, he’s younger and less injury prone than Partey and a better distributor of the ball. I do think £105 million was a bit over the top though.
Having said that, if we want top class, English qualified, Premiership experienced players we have to pay the price.
Rico, I think if we kept Balogun Nketiah would not want to stay as he would drop down the pecking order. To be honest, I would rather lose Jesus than either of them.
I’m with Cicero re Rice Obi.
And re Jesus, is it a coincidence that Jesus returned and our form dropped? I’m not saying it was, but I think perhaps it didn’t help.. Both Balogun and Nketiah seem more natural goal scorers Cicero.
Bologun – Inter?
I think we should sell Jesus while we can, another season like the last and we wouldn’t get tuppence for him.
Well I guess Obi, from a fitness and reliability perspective Rice is quite an upgrade on Partey…
Arteta has upgraded the defence and the midfield, next is the attack but that might be next summers big transfer move?
Morning Rico and all, I still would like us to find a reliable goal scorer but on the whole, I am pretty happy with the transfers we have done so far.
Morning Geoff, all.
We potentially have a 20+ goal a season striker in Balogun. We were scoring goals last season but what let us down in March/April/May was conceding them. As Kev said, the club has addressed that.
New post up