Morning all.
So Edu is in Spain enjoying a family holiday and not on the hunt for a midfielder or winger. That’s according to the Daily Cannon who have been trawling instagram to find a post from Edu’s wife. I know men struggle to multi task, yes, that’s a joke, but he could be doing both. Optimism is my middle name.
Alex Runasson has left the building. Good for him and certainly good for Arsenal. He might not be the highest of earners at the club but every little counts. Hopefully he’ll have a great season and Alanyaspor decide to sign him permanently next summer.
I stumbled across this little snippet this morning. It’s a comment from Bacary Sagna made in May this year and printed by The Mail.
I’ve known Mikel a long time now and I know for a fact he’s always been a coach, whenever we were watching games together, he would talk to me about formations, what I was thinking and tactics. For me I just wanted to go to the game and enjoy it. I didn’t want to talk tactics, but the point is I’m not surprised he’s the Arsenal manager at all, management is in his DNA.
I can think of little worse than going to a football match and being sat or stood next to someone like Mikel Arteta. I’m a Sagna kind of spectator, watch, enjoy and then chat/moan after the game has finished. Still, we’re all different and that’s what makes the world go round but my rationale for copying the comments made by our ex player is that it shows Mikel Arteta didn’t go into management because it’s what many ex footballers do, it’s because as Sagna suggests, it’s in his DNA. A bit like Arsene Wenger really who eats, sleeps and drinks football. Some might say football is an obsession for people like him who keep going in the game in some kind of capacity. I listened to an interview with Arsene Wenger on Sky Sports yesterday. He’s 72 years old now and still working hard on improving grass roots football around the world. He was right about Chelsea, he always has been, when Abramovich bought the club, they spent money they never earned. The beginning of the end of the game which many of us once knew.
Yet, here we are today, not quite spending the kind of money Chelsea did years ago and still do, but Arsenal are competing in the transfer window with the likes of the west London club, Man City, Liverpool, Man Utd and Newcastle Utd. Trouble is, we as a club are a few years behind most of them as far as the ‘process’ goes. Not that Utd seem to have any kind of process in place. Bacary Sagna reckons that Arsenal could win the Premier League within two years under Mikel Arteta and of course I hope he’s proved right. The way the club are building the squad, on paper, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility. Pep won’t be at City forever, nor Klopp at Liverpool and Conte is not one to stay in one place for long either. Arsenal and Man Utd have the young and energetic managers in place so who knows, give it a few more years and it might be Utd and Arsenal emulating what Man City and Liverpool are doing now.
No, I don’t mean our players head butting the opposition and getting sent off. Lol
See you in the comments.
I think that United are some way behind us in development and probably it’s about 2 years before they reach where we are today. They will have their moments but that will have it’s failures too , the difference being that as we have our ups and downs theirs for a couple of years will downs more frequently.
It depends if they stick with their manager and how much they throw at it and in the meantime as Chelsea get used to their new regime , there is no better time for us to regain the top London club title again , chasing Pep and Klippetty might be more difficult but we should get closer.
I too think they’re behind us in terms of rebuilding and their football but they’ll be back I’m sure and possibly quicker than we have got to where we are now. Newcastle are another club. I’ve a feeling Klopp and his team will find it more difficult this year and don’t think they’ll be as close to City as they have been.
Even if we are only a couple of games in it’s good to see other teams having to play catch up. As we well know that one point can make all the difference at the end of the season the points dropped today still count in May.
Agreed. Liverpool without Nunez for three games is good.
Good morning Rico, Potter.
It seems to me that we are some way ahead of United in “the process”. Wenger had a style of play which he largely stuck to and recruited players who could work within his set framework. When Emery came he found it difficult to change the style of play to suit his own requirements he did, however, start to remove some of the deadwood. When Arteta came in he worked methodically to train the players in his own version of Guardiola’s style. Not making wholesale changes until he could recruit players capable of fitting in. We can now begin to see the fruits of his labours.
United, on the other hand, since Old Red Nose left, have appointed managers not on the basis of who could work with the existing squad but who would change the style without actually changing the type of player in the squad. Van Gaal, Moyes, Mourinho, etc, etc, and now Erik ten Hag. Consequently they have been left with a legacy of mediocre players with no real common ability to work within the new man’s style of play. In addition the club have bought, not on the basis of fitting into a style of play, but more for the sake of spending money on high profile and high maintenance marquee “personalities” such as Pogba, Ronaldo and others of a similar ilk.
ten Hag has a tough job ahead to not only get his existing players on-side, but to get the owners to buy players that will cope with his own style.
I reckon it’s going to take at least four windows after the current one to get the team back in contention. Even then they must cope with the reluctance of transfer targets to join a club with now European football on offer.
no, not now.
Afternoon Rico and all
I would not be surprised to see Edu using this holiday as a decoy to hide a interview with a possible new player after all it would make sense to me to take a holiday with your wife after the transfer season end’s so you can both relax and enjoy it.
Hi Rico
Another great result on Saturday. It was baking hot in the stadium and the atmosphere was red hot too. The demographic of the crowd has changed over the past few years: younger and more diverse. The upshot is a more enthusiastic live crowd, less moaning. The Ashburton Army are also making a lot of noise in the Clock End. Pretty impressive.
The football has been impressive too. We’re a million miles from where we were at the start of last season. It looks like we’re full of goals, just need to cut out the silly mistakes at the back now.
I get the feeling this will be a fun season…
Morning Cicero, I love what’s going on at Utd and I’d love to see them slip away into the championship. I think re signing Ronaldo summed up where they are, perhaps even going for Rabiot too because I’d have thought they have enough problems already.
What was hilarious though is going for the striker and after Neville and Co winged and moaned, they changed their minds. If true of course.
Emery struggled imo because the board at the time didn’t back his opinions in the transfer window. Unlike now.
Hi Geoff, neither would I.
Hi Pete. Excellent to hear that about the fans, it’s been a long time since there’s been something to be really positive about. How good was Jesus? I’m sure he’s better than the TV made him look, Xhaka too.
Jesus was everything that Lacazette wasn’t. Pressuring the defenders; running in behind; being a threat all over the pelanty box.
If he keeps up this form I’m happy to eat humble pie, as I wasn’t convinced by his quality when we were linked with him.
Thanks Pete. I wasn’t either but humble pie standing by. Lol
Is there a vegi version of humble pie? Just asking 😉
There is Cicero, made by Quorn. 😃
Quorn upsets my wife’s stomach , to put it gently. Every time that she has eaten it . Never again.
The original “umble” pie was made from minced offal mainly deer and other bits and pieces of various animals. Tasty? I’ve never tried it!
That’s weird re the quorn, not heard of it upsetting anyones digestion before.
One thing to say re that Cicero. 🤮🤮
Nacho Monreal has announced his retirement due to a long standing knee injury. After surgery he decided it was the right time to hang up his boots. Our former left back played 250 games, for Arsenal, scored ten goals and won the FA Cup three times.
Best of luck Nacho, enjoy you retirement.
Charlie Patino off at half-time with injury against QPR . Monreal was one of those squad members that you couldn’t do without . Always a shame when injury calls time on a player’s career but it is a fact of life when you play on .
Morning Rico and all
Potter Is your wife an Arsenal supporter and was she eating the Quorn Humble pie while watching the us play in the past as this could be what gave her a upset belly not the pie.
I have just moved my humble pie from the freezer to the chiller draw I have not seen Quorn in OZ
Swedish international forward Lina Hurtig, 27 is in London to complete the details of a transfer from Juventus to Arsenal.
So according to the mail Mike Dean has been dropped for 1 week from the VAR due to the Chelsea and Tottenham match, How come he never got suspended after Arsenal Matches
Happy retirement Nacho.
Morning Geoff, all.
Dean should be suspended for longer than a week. Those two points Chelsea dropped could mean a lot come the end of the season. In some ways, his costly error and has done football some good because it’s being talked about more by the media and newspapers.
Geoff, we’ve always been considered to be moaning and no one cared. Whoever made the decision not to send Kane off last season, against Liverpool I think, should have been sacked and more questions asked imo.
How is your wife doing Geoff?
Rico hopefully home tomorrow morning at the moment there is 4 different area’s that will need there dressing changed every day and some medication to prevent infection.
The thing about Dean being dropped is hopefully the media might get stuck into the referees both on field and in VAR.
As long as kane is England captain he will keep getting away with everything
Glad things are looking positive Geoff.
Hi Rico. When you think about it, surely it is inconceivable to believe that, given the camera angles and variable speeds etc, that Dean had at his disposal, he still managed to get all those 3 decisions so wrong.
Ok, ok, it isn’t inconceivable as Arsenal fans well know. So, it’s either sheer incompetence and/or external influences. Either way, it’s all very concerning. Quite how he spotted the usual Vardy dive last Saturday on VAR remains a mystery. Though as Vardy escaped a yellow when that clown Taylor couldn’t book Xhaka quickly enough the previous week it highlights the sheer inconsistency of the officials. Factor in Tierney’s truly pathetic display in the Man Utd game against Brighton and it makes you wonder when the suffering will begin for us.
And this is only considering 3 games!
Hi Adam. I agree in that I really cannot understand how Dean made the judgement he did. But sadly, we know only too well what can happen when Totts and Dean are put together.
How can every other league around the world, and the international competitions have little to no problems with VAR yet the PL does.
It’s one of the game’s great mysteries Rico.
Isn’t it just Adam, although I think we might have a clue.. lol
Evening Rico and the House
Just a short visit.
Our U21 team is playing Swansea U23 in the P/L cup tonight.
Its at Boringwood with a 7PM kickoff and is live on the website.
Soares is the cap and ESR and Viera are playing
Arsenal 2 – 1 Swansea City. Final score.
Joel Ideho and Cedric Soares were the Arsenal scorers.
Dean get suspended for 1 week, now will the police and premier league look into that match for match fixing.
Good new Just picked up my wife from Hospital and a bag full of medication and dressings, she’s still in a bit of pain and swollen but other that she is doing well, Once again Thanks to all who wished her well.
hope the stories about Pepe are correct it would be a win – win for all
Don’t mention the cricket. 😕
Great news Geoff..
They’ll fight back Cicero, Jimmy under the weather conditions should have some fun.
Morning all.
New post up now