Morning all.
Arsenal chief executive Vinai Venkatesham told club employees to “stay positive” despite their dire start to the Premier League season and insists their recent moves are “the best route to future success”. Say The Mirror.
In his message to staff, which I guess has been leaked to the press for a few quid in return perhaps, reads as follows:
Of course, I write this update against the backdrop of a hugely disappointing start to the season. I know how tough this is for all of you, both as supporters and employees, with criticism coming from all angles.
At times like this it is critical we stick together and stay positive. We have a very important run of games coming up after the international break and I’m confident we can and will come out fighting.
Our approach for this window was framed by fully recognising that we are not where we want to be on the pitch — finishing eighth last season, with no European football for the first time in many years. This is well below the standards each of us all have, and of course that our fans rightly demand of us, which is to be competing for the biggest trophies in the game. Whilst we would love to jump from where we are to where we want to be in an instant, we need to be realistic that the gap is too large to do that. As such, our activity this window has been focused on youth.
Our strategy is to fill our squad with some of Europe’s most exciting young talent, with players from both our academy and further afield, that can grow and develop together under Mikel to take us where we want to get to. Whilst this will not be overnight, we can make positive progress, and it gives us the best route to future success in a sustainable way.
Although Covid and no European football bring financial challenges, our owners, Stan and Josh Kroenke, have sanctioned very significant investment this transfer window in support of our strategy.
Basically, Arsenal fans need to be patient for a long time yet but there is a plan in place. Not being funny but I think most of us could have worked that out for ourselves. Out with the old, in with the young and move forward together. Build a team which in the next few years might we’ll be able to challenge for bigger and better things.
There is no doubting the strategy the club are employing is the right one because our squad was not only ageing but fast becoming a place seen as a retirement home for footballers coming to the end of their career. We can go right back to the Sebastian Squilaci, Gallas, Flamini the second time, because that’s when it began. Not the day the club thought signing Willian, or renewing Aubameyang and Luiz’s contract were a good idea at the time.
Now though, slowly but surely, the hangers on are departing and come this time next year, there’ll be less I’m sure. Lacazette, Kolasinac, Elneny should be gone as their contracts expire and that’s just for starters.
By then, our younger guys will have had another year together. They’ll know each other better, know each other’s game better and of course, the new signings of this summer, will know more about Mikel Arteta as he will them.
It’s a recipe for success on paper, if the club have the right manager and by that I mean, experience with this type of managerial style, is able to manage young players, some who might be in England for the first time and has the ability and know how to keep them all interested and happy despite not always playing.
That’s one heck of a task for an experienced manager, let alone someone in the first managerial post who is clearly going through a tough time already.
Disgraceful challenge on Sead Kolasinac. Regardless of what you or I think of him as far as playing for Arsenal goes, I hope he’s ok.
See you in the comments.
Good morning Rico, hardly King Henry V on St. Crispin’s day.
Morning Rico. I feel better now.
Morning Adam, Cicero, all.
I knew you’d feel better Adam. I wonder what the strategy is if we’re still in the relegation places in six weeks time?
Indeed not Cicero.
https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/spieler/vertragslosespieler/statistik/1/plus//galerie/0?ausrichtung=alle&spielerposition_id=6&land_id=alle&altersklasse=&wettbewerb_id=alle&seit=alle&yt0=Show
Must be someone in there who could help our midfield for a year. 😂
Jam tomorrow……..or in five years time. 😕
Morning Rico and all
As I said yesterday Kolasinac was lucky he never had both legs broken and the player that tackled him didn’t even care, and yet people say Xhaka tackle was dangerous,
Get one of them on loan maybe, would see us through to January when we can sign Bissouma.
I’ve never been a fan of Arteta and ideally, I’d love to see someone replace him but it seems are board are right behind him. I suppose we have no choice but to see where we are come the next international break and then Christmas. But if things are still looking really poor, I hope the board react before the next transfer window opens.
I do think the path the club are taking is the right one though, at least as far as building a younger and more dynamic squad.
Morning Geoff, I’d not heard about the Kolasinac challenge until your earlier comment. It wa a nasty one.
I hope the PL officials were watching!
I’ve just read Xhaka has not had his Covid vaccines and now has tested positive.
What a plank if true!
Correction to my 10.29, as of the listed players are out of contract they can be signed free on a short term deal. Wages won’t need to be high and no signing on fee. As the birdies sing cheep cheep cheep. 😉
Morning all.
I think I’m happy with the new idea of project youth. I’m sure I’ve heard that phrase before! Yep, buy young, buy for the future all for it. But, keep an eye on the past the football history is full of well intentioned, brilliant theories and even groups of excellent players. Teams that couldn’t get a result not for all the tea in China! Or have languished in no mans land for years, going nowhere just surviving, till eventually the end comes and down they go. Sunderland, Wolves neared extinction, Notts forest, Notts county, etc etc. Often the players just weren’t good enough or were so disorganised they couldn’t string two passes together. Until a manager with a plan arrives. Clough, Wenger, Wilkinson, even fat Sam! (Loads more….). The thing was that they all blended youth with age. Wenger had the aging back four and Adams! Clough back in the day had Mackay, and what a good team he built around the old battle horse. It would seem that Arteta has decided that Xhaka is the old head who is going to shape play and organise players in live games. He will be our Mackay! Or not!
I’m not convinced he’s got the balance right. He has got a few nuggets Saka, ESR etc but not enough. The current team have got to learn how to win at all costs. Pretty football we all want it, but back in the day 1-0 to the arsenal was always a good outcome no matter how poor the football was. I wonder if Arteta has got that ability to create a fighting, back to the walls, they shall not pass mentality and the players are happy and adaptable enough to win at all costs? It certainly wasn’t evident against Man Citeh nor Brentford.
There has to be a real change in attitude and performance if we are going to achieve anything positive this season, apart from staring relegation in unblinking eyes and open arms!
Telegraph Sport section headline this morning “Shock findings reveal scale of football’s Covid vaccine crisis” !!!
All our players need to be taught how to tackle. Against City I can’t remember one Arsenal attempt to tackle a player….except from Xhaka’s that is.
So Granit Xhaka and Piers Corbyn have something in common…
Morning Vaxxers, morning Rico, take each game as it comes that really has to be how we recover, forget about the NLD or Leicester or Liverpool, those games will take care of themselves, our biggest game of the season is Norwich and then we go from there.
DG, in football terms Scotland are independent.
I reckon there must be one in Cicero. A no fee risk might just prove to be worth it.
Morning Kev.
Cicero, footballers should learn to tackle long before they play pro football. My problem is with the officials as right now, more so than ever, the idiots in the PL think it’s a good idea to let the game flow. No, if there’s a foul, give it. It’s the only way to stop the dirty side of the game.
Agree Wavy, youth alone will seldom succeed but I guess until the current experienced players leave, they can’t be replaced by more suited players.
The head honcho at Roma reckons Xhaka really wanted to move but Arsenal wouldn’t let him go.
I agree players should be taught how to tackle when around 10 years old, we all like to see a tuff match but we need to see tackles like the one done on Kolasinac.
They only way I can see these tackles stop or really cut back will be the day a player takes another player and his club to court for assault, pain and suffering.
I believe a player who is a good strong fair tackler is worth as much as any good striker on his day
As much as a young team sounds good you still need an old head to guide them and encourage them when the are not having a good match.
Starting to sound like a couple of players now wanted to leave but the club blocked it. wasn’t it Arteta who said if a player is not fully committed to Arsenal then they can go.
One player taking another to court is unlikely imo. I don’t think there has been many cases in the professional game. If there was a real possibility of getting a conviction, I’m sure Roy Kean would have been up before the judge many times. Certainly for the challenge on Alfie Haaland. (Spelling)
The officials have to be stronger, the subsequent penalisation more firm imo. It’s ridiculous to think that a footballer can get a year ban for missing or failing a drugs test, yet only gets three matches for nearly ending a player’s career.
Tackling is steadily being removed from the game. Just as heading the ball is coming under pressure due to players suffering dementia in later life. I would just say that my mother-in-law suffered severe dementia towards the end of her life, as far as I know she never ever headed a ball.
My point is that not every case of dementia in footballers can be put down to heading the ball.
Footballers taking legal action rarely helps , Bosman is a classic example , ever since his verdict football finance has been in turmoil .
A personal injuries case if proven would create a spate of lawsuits and players going over the top would be hung out to dry and should the referee miss it , would they get sued too ?
On second thoughts , that might not be such a bad thing.
Spot on Cicero, the law of averages suggest that out of millions of footballers playing the game, there will be cases of dementia. To suggest football can be a cause is folly imo.
Times are changing Rico We had a police officer charge an Aussie rules player with assault after he punched another player on the field, And thanks to Lawyers now we have people taking people to court for the smallest things just look at the old comedy shows that have been banned from tv.
Now there’s an idea. Sue the officials for neglect of duty. I’m sure there’s a law covering that somewhere in the legal books.
Anyone on here work for the CPS? 😀
Good start in the test India lose 3 wickets before lunch.
Rico the sad part is in Australia some of our older retired professional Aussie rules players have successfully sued there old clubs/ AFL for failing to protect them, now the AFL have a full team just working on the safety of current and future players and some kind of fund set up to help the older players who have suffered major injuries that were not picked up during there playing career.
We may or may not agree with players suing the club or league for any brain injuries but it’s something that we can not just sweep under the carpet.
Ten years ago we were beating Man City 3-0, Bendtner was scoring…..
#justsayin…
Very good in the cricket..
Different country, probably different rules Geoff.
Besiktas are trying to sign Elneny apparently. Door opens wider for AMN in midfield if he goes.
Afternoon rico, all.
Haha, beat Brentford 4-0 behind closed doors today. Two for Cedric. Gabriel back in a three man defence. Laca and Gabriel other scorers. Ramsdale quiet afternoon.
So far the spate of dementia cases have been publicised by families of players that were playing late 1960’s and early 70’s .
Since that time ball technology has changed considerably . It’s now much lighter and doesn’t feel like a lead balloon as it did in my playing days . It will be interesting to see like for like assessments .
As for Xhaka and his anti jab stance , I wonder how many others he has influenced as we seem to have suffered over the past few weeks .
The Kolasinac tackle has no doubt left us stuck with him at least until January and he will have to prove fitness before he goes to Turkey . If indeed he does.
Interesting Geoff , no doubt it will be spun that they took it easy on us.
I am sure I typed Andrew , but there you go.
Strong team we put out. Nice to see that Ben White back and alongside Gabriel.
Nice win and hopefully Arteta got to see some possibilities of players who can work with each other’s shame I couldn’t get to see the match
Afternoon Andrew, really positive news re our injured. We need them back.
Good point Potter, Xhaka could be Arsenal’s super spreader.
Considering these players travel all over the country and through out other countries week in week out one would think they would be the first to put up their hand for Covid-19 jabs.
One good thing Xhaka can do his quarantine period why he is suspended
I doubt he will Geoff, if he’s not had it yet, I suspect he never will. There must be a reason he’s opted out.
I imagine he thinks there’s a chip in the vaccine which will both track him and prevent him from lunging in with two feet off the ground.
😀😀 Adam
Afternoon Rico and the House.
The England u21 game against Romania has
been postponed as 2 of our players have the virus.
Hope its not Balogun and ESR.
India 191 all out.
Yes Cicero, thank heavens for the cricket…
Hi Rico.. I wonder if it was Brentford’s U23s we beat earlier? 😜 So glad White/Gabriel are back though.
Bloody hell, Rico, I was only joking, but Charles Watts said it was a really young team; far from their first 11!! Partey not involved – shame!
One good thing Xhaka can do his quarantine period why he is suspended
Not sure that it is Geoff , As you may have gathered I don’t share Arteta’s opinion of him . I thinkThe longer he is out the better it is .
Very good Adam.
That’s bad news re Xhaka, could do with him missing five/six games…
Afternoon Rick, ditto. Both should be ok though right after the break. Ten days.
Hi Sue, ha ha but yes, probably. Lol
Saka on the bench tonight.
Good. Re Saka I meant. Not the below link. 😂
https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11675/12397655/serge-aurier-ex-tottenham-defender-would-consider-a-move-to-arsenal-after-terminating-contract
How did Kane miss that one?
Spurs stadium catches fire. 300 evacuated .
Doing Covid inoculations apparently.
Only a very small fire in a kitchen apparently.
Rico I guess you would like Xhaka to do his quarantine first then start his suspension that should put him out until Christmas. Ready to be sold in January
Indeed I would Geoff. Lol
Are you having a well deserved day off , or has the site collapsed again ?
So according to NN Edu didn’t want Ramsdale as he was too dear and wanted Arteta to change his mind and go for Neto from Barca for around 12 million pounds but Arteta refused.
So if this story is true, are we starting to see cracks in the Edu and Arteta partnership.
Neither Potter but thank you anyway. A day off here but a hectic day elsewhere. Nice to be back on the sofa… lol
I wouldn’t believe NN..
Morning all. 😆
New post up now