Morning all.
2020 has been a pretty dismal year or us all. Covid-19 swept across the world, taking thousands and thousands of lives as it travelled. An evil virus which shows no signs of letting up. Thankfully, two vaccines have now been approved and are being rolled out at a rapid rate of knots. All hope on rests on them being successful and in time, life can get back to some kind of normality.
It’s been a weird twelve months for Arsenal. A new manager, the end of Raul, an FA Cup Final victory and a defeat of Liverpool, twice. Ozil was basically dumped on the rubbish tip, Guendouzi was sent to the overseas naughty corner and Torriera left. As did Emi Martinez for peanuts. Two wins and then we hit the buffers. Partey has been injured for most of the season so far, Willian has been a disaster signing and Pepe’s struggles continue. I’ll stop there. Two recent victories need clinging onto, with hope. Big hope.
On the Arsenal agenda this month is sales and loans. Basically, exits.
We have a large squad and we knew that. A lot of things that should have happened in the summer, we could not accomplish for different reasons. There are some players who will go on loan or leave and that is the priority at the moment. We cannot sustain the numbers that we have in certain positions and we are looking to do that, and then we will see if we have the right opportunity in the positions where we need some more help
Sead Kolasinac is the first to depart as he rejoined Schalke on loan until the end of the season and by the sounds of it, he’ll be the first of many. Reports in the Express suggest Sokratis Papastathopoulos has reached an agreement with Turkish giants Fenerbahce too. Good luck to both of them.
Arsenal have had a top heavy squad for years now. Too many players earning far too much money for doing very little. Being super critical, too many average players on overly inflated wages. Something had to had to be done after years of neglecting the wage bill and it seems that day has finally arrived.
Will Reiss Nelson be sold to raise funds? Speculation has been rife that he will because he’s not been in the squad and missed the last two Europa League fixtures:
Yeah, he had a little niggle and he’s not been feeling 100 per cent. He had a muscular issue and he’s been in and out of training. He’s not 100 per cent and it’s a shame because I felt like he was getting into his performance levels and he was starting to have some really good games. He was starting to build that momentum and this little injury has set him back a little bit, but I think this week has been much better. It was my mistake to not verify the situation with what’s been happening, but he’s not been 100 per cent fit and that’s the reason why he’s been out.
Phew. Now get AMN back in the team and away from the January sales. William, Luiz, Pepe, Sokratis, Ozil, Mustafi… fill your boots Arsenal and clear the decks. Out with the old and in with the young.
Happy New Year Guys, thanks for being here through the last one…
🥂🥂 Rico xx
Good morning!
When Partney is fit?
Good Morning. And a Happy New Year
Happy New Year Rico!!
I can’t fault your comments on the squad who should be moved on being surplus to requirements. And AMN needs more game time as he will improve the more he plays. Nelson I didn’t know has not been 100% for a while now. That makes sense as he’s not figured in games. But I agree AMN and Nelson should stay there definitely the right calibre and they have the drive and motivation often found missing from the seniors.
The only player I might disagree with your selling is Pepe. I know he’s not lived up to his price tag. But in my opinion, he does have some excellent abilities that can be nurtured, and he has an excellent left foot.
We are also reading that at least one midfielder playmaker will be purchased. Who do you think we are in for this Brandt chap?
Good morning all and a happy, healthier, post Brexit 2021.
Kolascinac wasn’t top of my “move on” list but probably the easiest to move to the exit. Only a loan rather than a sale and we are paying part of his wages. Sokratis had dropped way down the pecking order, even before he was omitted from the squad, so it’s no surprise to see him go.
The Isco story is still clinging on even after the player admitted to having a soft spot for Chelsea, if he’s not 100% committed to Arsenal forget him.
A move for Isco would almost certainly mean that Ceballos will be going back the other way . Real are already complaining that Ceballos is not getting enough football , so I can’t see them being keen on replacing like for like.
I saw a headline stating that we were looking at re signing a forward player that left in 2017 , that means Stefy Mavididi , Donyall Malen or Sanogo .
Sanogo is a non runner and as much as I liked Mavididi Malen’s stats are far more impressive 28 goals in 62 matches for PSV im Holland.
Malen is a tremendously quick player who possesses great dribbling skills and an aptitude for prolific goal scoring. Malen has been likened by ex-Ajax youth coach Brian Tevreden to Chilean forward Alexis Sánchez.He has been coached by Arsenal legends Dennis Bergkamp while at Ajax, and Thierry Henry at Arsenal.
Who knows ? could be an interesting signing .£20 million for him according to Transfermkt.
Lots of chatter north of the border about Ryan Christie Celtic’s Scottish international midfielder . Apparently he has the same agent as Tierney and they are friends. His contract runs out 2022 and would cost considerably less than the £ 30 million being quoted for Aouar .
My festive duties are finally wrapped up for another year.
Have we signed anyone? Lol
If he’s got the same attitude as Tierney, he’d be a good signing.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kFFNBIxo344
WHAT DOES BREXIT MEAN FOR RECRUITMENT OF YOUNG PLAYERS?
Firstly, it means clubs can no longer sign EU players aged between 16 and 18 as was the case previously. Now, a player from the EU can only be signed if they are 18 and over.
Youth players aged 16 to 18 can still move between England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales following an amendment to transfer regulations approved by world governing body FIFA.
There will be additional criteria for youth players – those aged 18 and 19 – including the number of times they were named on a team sheet even for a match in which they did not ultimately play, appearances in youth competition at club and international level and so on.
In theory, English clubs who have a partnership with a team still in the EU could get them to sign under-18 players on their behalf, before moving to England once eligible.
Just to relieve the boredom a bit I started watching Everton v West Ham. But the boredom level has persisted
Consequently I switched to Sheffield Wednesday v Derbyshire only to find that the boredom level was similar and the skill level a class or two also lower.
If things don’t prove I’ll revert to my default setting ,reading a book.
There’s always Emmerdale. 😂
I last saw that when it was still Emmerdale Farm, ah the good old days Rico, when TV was just normal, now it’s all about giving us instructions on what we should think, but I’ll leave it there…
If by leaving the EU it’s means that Arsenal don’t sign anymore over-the-hill foreign has-beens then that isn’t no bad thing. I’m sure that the Premier League has ways and means of getting around the regulations and so will the clubs. Maybe having a nursery team inside the EU is the way to go, money talks…
If Premier League clubs are still offering the biggest pay days then nothing much will change except more opportunities for young English and British players, we still have a rich vein of talent coming out of our academies and that shows no sign of drying up in the mid to short range.
We once had an arrangement with Beverin I think in Belgium . I don’t know how fruitful that was but it’s finished now I believe .
We are not like the red bulls or Man City group .I don’t think Colorado Rapids count as the MLS has different rules on squads and loans
We did get Eboue from Beveren though
it crossed my mind a week or so ago, if Arsenal might consider sending Dani Ceballos back to Real Madrid as he seemed to have fallen down the pecking order, but I doubted that Arsenal would do that, so I parked the thought and now it’s being reported that Madrid might recall him anyway?
It’s unlikely that Arsenal will look to make the transfer permanent and Dani himself might not feel as settled anymore in any case whilst there are also reports that up to three Serie A clubs are interested in him and Madrid probably need to sell.
I guess if Dani returns to Spain that Arsenal will get half of their loan fee back, it’ll also free up a space for another foreign Arsenal signing and both Madrid and Ceballos can sort their futures out?
A lot has changed since then Kev. 😆
Morning all.
New post up now