Morning all.
Arsenal have been charged by the FA for failing to ensure their players “did not behave in an improper manner”. Arsenal can appeal this charge of course and why not, it’s not like other club players act in a similar way yet go unpunished. Of course it’s not good to see players getting a bit too up close and personal with the officials, especially not when they’re pretty cheesed off but then that’s what witnessing an injustice can do to a human being. They were fuming because their teammate had been harshly and wrongly sent off. Again!
Pre Girona game, Mikel Arteta was asked how Myles is doing after learning his red card had been rescinded:
He was sleeping on the plane when I looked back and got the news so I haven’t spoken to him but I imagine he’ll have a big smile on his face.
Then yesterday, I read this from The Mirror’s Andy Dunn:
You can be sure it did (bring a smile to his face). But let’s get one thing straight here, Lewis-Skelly was no victim. It was Lewis-Skelly who committed a premeditated act of foul play. It was Lewis-Skelly whose only intention was to make sure Matt Doherty was unable to carry on taking part in an attacking phase of play. It was Lewis-Skelly who took away the Wolves player’s standing leg. It was Lewis-Skelly who performed as cynical an act of law-breaking as you will see on a football field.
Yes, the challenge was cynical but premeditated? Utter poppycock. To suggest a footballer walks out on to a football pitch thinking about deliberately fouling an opponent is in my opinion, outrageous.
Lewis-Skelly is 18 years old for goodness sake and in his first season of senior football, not a seasoned player who knows every dark art in the game. Premeditation is what the Nevilles did to Jose Antonio Reyes, or what other players do to Bukayo Saka on a weekly basis. I’d bet my mortgage that Lewis-Skelly’s foul on Doherty was nothing more than a split second decision made in the moment.
Peter Bankes is the referee for our game against Man City on Sunday with Paul Tierney operating VAR. Both are from the north of England, Lancashire to be precise but then that’s no great surprise as most of the officials are from the north but not all officiate an Arsenal game in the way Oliver does. If Dunn wants to talk about premeditation, then perhaps he should be looking elsewhere for a story.
Arsenal made two deadline day signings yesterday for the women’s squad. 24 year old United States international left-back Jenna Nighswonger on a permanent deal and then late in the day, Chloe Kelly joined on loan for the rest of the season. I know nothing about Nighswonger but Kelly is as excellent player who I’m sure will bring a lot to the team.
The Premier League transfer window is just four days away from closing but as yet, the club have made no additions to the men’s squad despite being without both Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus for the foreseeable future. Ollie Watkins is reported to be willing to move to Arsenal according to reports in the back pages but my guess that’s just because a few years ago he said it would be a dream come true to play for the club he and his family all support. Something like that anyway.
Sverre Nypan to Arsenal rumours continue but that’s all they are at the moment. Rumours.
Totts and Bayern Munich are reported to have agreed a fee for Mathys Tel but the player is yet to agree to move to our rivals. Depending on which headline on NewsNow you click on, reports suggest he’s waiting to see if a top club comes in for him before agreeing to move to Totts. Arsenal are one of those clubs apparently and I’m sure if we were/are 100% interested in him, Mikel Arteta would have been on the phone to his old mate Vincent Kompany to find out all he can about the player.
Tel might be an exciting young player but if he’s not getting much playing time at Bayern this season, what is the likelihood of him moving to a much tougher league and hitting the ground running which is what Arsenal need right now? I know that sometimes a club has to take a chance on younger players because they may prove to be worth every penny in the long run but as said, Arsenal need the kind of player who whilst cannot be guaranteed to create and score goals every game, is the best equipped to do so.
Catch up in the comments..
Good morning Rico.
An item in this morning’s Telegraph suggests that the previous Arsenal bid for Watkins was £45 million and not the £60 million reported at the time. The item goes on to say Arsenal would have to almost double the previous bid if they seriously want to sign the 29 year old striker.
Four year contracts are the norm in football meaning that there would be little chance of getting a decent fee for Watkins should he wish to leave after a season or three so getting him off the books, should it be necessary, will not be easy.
It’s asking, expecting a lot of a twenty year old to make an impression at a new club, in a new league in the chase for honours on three fronts.
hitting the ground running which is what Arsenal need right now?
Does he exist and is he available ,?
I’ve seen videos of Tel and he looks useful and probably financially a better deal than Watkins and in any case having lost Duran the Villa management would be lynched if they let Watkins go at the same time.
As I said Is he available ?
Tel is just over 6 foot , very quick but in the videos I have yet to see him score with his head. He is more of a Wright striker than a Smith . He has quick feet and is fast over short distances and certainly knows where the goal is ,but at Bayern he is behind the blessed Harry so again I ask , Is he available because Bayern can’t persuade him to wait or because they feel that he is not their answer.
Of the two I would go with him, the price is apparently 50,million and whether that is pounds or euros depends on the report you read plus at such a young age has a resale value
Morning Cicero, Potter.
For sure, a better financial deal would be Tel but surely he’s a “next season” player at best unless he turns out like Anelka which is probably wishful thinking. I’d hoped we’d go for Duran..
I think the kind of Jan signing we need is a Trossard or Arshavin. Not position wise but the impact they have from day one.
Potter makes a very valid point about about Villa selling their two principal scorers in the middle of, for them, a very busy season. They are teetering on the edge of a PSR precipice and have to sell dear and buy cheap but that is not easy with just a day or two away from the end of the transfer window.
All the more reason to sell us Watkins then 😄
Morning all.
I think Arteta will now wait for the summer and is hoping or maybe even agreed to bring Sesko in.
Perhaps that’s why we only offered £40M for Watkins on the presumption if we got him we aren’t breaking the bank and if they didn’t go for it no large outlay and possibly Dhuran’s then iminent departure blocked it anyway.
Now that EN53 has showed he is ready Arteta might mix it up a bit up front.
I know I’m in the minority but we should have kept Mika Biereth rather than accept £4 million.
Villa sold Douglas Luis and Moussa Diaby for big fees in the summer and set up deals for younger players (Birmingham Live)
Good Morning Rico and all
A good post which sets us up to think.
Personally I would have liked both. But Watkins I wanted him around 4 or 5 years younger. I love Ollie Watkins…English, tactically and technically sound and I bet with us he would have won more England caps. Plus he is strong and does not make the physio’s bench his own….at us that might have changed but who knows.
Mathys Tel is good as well. He is still young so can learn and adapt. But as everyone pointed out he has to adapt to the EPL and find his feet so very difficult to hit the ground running.
Morning Devil, thanks.
Just watched Tel on YouTube and as Potter says, he’s quick with great feet. Perhaps I need to rethink. 😂
Man City v Real Madrid in the CL…
That’s a two legged tie I think. Pep will be bemoaning his injury list and crowded schedule AGAIN! If you can’t stand the heat etc etc etc.
It is and early next month..
You know what? I’m a cynic.
All the rumours, all the tales of which of a dozen strikers Arsenal are going to sign, all the “we are working to improve the squad” stories from Arteta, is all bullshit. If we actually do sign a class striker in this window I’ll eat my straw panama hat.
Plenty of mayo with a straw hat isn’t bad.😊
Well, we needed a player at the start of the month an seeing as we’re so close to DD, I certainly wouldn’t bet against you being right Cicero.
A lot of spin I think,surely no way Villa will sell Watkins now,maybe in the summer. There might be an agreement already for someone else for the summer. This sounds like the story that used to be leaked out saying we were interested in Wayne Rooney.
I have given up on reading NN articles tbh. i dont click on them. And even on FB I dont read all posts. I just read the posts here…..I would get the same info. but it saves me from going into unnecessary articles. Fancy headlines and all that but crap content posts. I honestly doubt if we are getting anyone. A new tea lady maybe???