What’s next for Mikel?

 

Morning all.

Molde, that’s what’s next for Mikel Arteta and his players. For Pepe, it’s an opportunity to redeem himself after the weekend. He’s bound to start in this match bearing in mind he’s banned for three League fixtures. He actually scored against tomorrow’s opposition in the home tie and a good goal it was too.

Pepe apologised on Instagram, saying:

Yesterday (Sunday) I have let my team down at a crucial time of the game and there is no excuses for my behaviour. I am deeply sorry and would like to apologise to the fans, my team-mates, my coach and everyone else at the club.

Red cards happen. Yes he was a plonker for reacting but at least he’s apologised. The best way to respond is by scoring goals and securing our place in the next round of the Europa League.

Molde sit just behind us in the group with three points between the two clubs so a win for Arsenal would leave us with one foot in the knockout stage. Or a big at least.

Mikel Arteta has included a few youngsters to the squad which has travelled to Norway. Miguel Azeez, Ben Cottrell and Folarin Balogun. ESR is included too for the first time this season. Cedric Soares, Alex Runarsson, Granit Xhaka, Kieran Tierney and Shkodran Mustafi have also travelled. Who else is included I don’t know but I’d imagine Joe Willock and AMN were also on the plane along with Eddie Nketiah and a few more senior players.

Interestingly, Folarin Balogun, whose contract expires next summer, is in talks with Arsenal over extending his stay according to The Athletic. Good news in my opinion and I hope he stays.

Much has been said/written about the four younger players who have been added to the squad for the first time and I’m really looking forward to seeing them play tomorrow evening. If they do of course. Cedric Soares too. As said before, I don’t care that he arrived at Arsenal for free, it’s what he does for Arsenal that matters.

I know Europa League football isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but I’m enjoying it. Partly, or probably, because things aren’t great with the first team but also because watching the younger players enjoying themselves on the pitch is refreshing. They might not play perfect football, or as a group, play the perfect game but at least they’re willing to try. They play with a smile and look as if nothing matters more for 95 odd minutes than playing for Arsenal and earning a win. Which is more than can be said for a few of the first team.

See you in the comments guys.

 

 

 

 

25 thoughts on “What’s next for Mikel?

  1. ScottfromOz says:

    Morning all.
    Rico, great post and let’s hope the younger guys get the job done for us.
    I’m sure they will.

  2. potter says:

    We beat them 4 -1 but it wasn’t really a performance that justified that score. They are a compact and organised team and they are at home. We cannot afford to take things too lightly and circumstance will dictate how many of the young players and which ones get on the pitch.
    I would hope that we start strong and get to 60 minutes with the luxury of being able to blood players and give them enough time to settle and play . However starting strong is the first hurdle to overcome , it’s something we seem to be incapable of.

  3. rico says:

    I don’t think Arteta will take the fixture lightly, it doesn’t seem to be his DNA but with a few of the players who seem to be disinterested in playing for the first team missing, I have more faith in those who might replace them.

  4. Wavy says:

    Nice one Rico. You raise an interesting point when you mention the youngsters who are en route for Norway. Balogun in particular and Eddie even ESR, but the strikers in particular. They must be given a chance with the first team where they can be properly assessed. (Not ESR as a striker, more as a very talented promising player with huge potential.) in the not far distant future Auba and Lacazette will no longer with us, age, sadly will have caught up with them and their replacements need to be found soon. Finding adequate replacements from within is obviously preferable. It may be that we have already acquired the new strike force, which is great but, we’ll never know unless they get some serious playing time. And they are able to play alongside each other!

    Will tomorrow be the night? Perhaps, providing Arsenal are not struggling again! I expect to see both of them at some point, although I doubt they’ll both be on the pitch at the same time.

    Mind you were quite impressive for the first 20 minutes, last time out. Have to contain them and then go for the jugular! The Arsenal should win this one, but who can say which side will turn up and whether they’re focussed enough to get ahead and let us see some of our young talent? Plus of course our scandi goalkeeper.

    Here’s hoping😊

  5. rico says:

    Thanks Wavy.

    I too think this tournament is ideal for assessing the youngsters. The opposition might not be as strong as the CL but I think it’s stronger than the championship which is where some of them would be if out on loan.

    For me, tomorrow will answer a question I have in my mind and that is the tempo in which we play, the way we play of course etc etc. If we look and play better, regardless of the result, it would suggest that perhaps Mikel isn’t the issue. Not that I think he is anyway.

  6. Iain says:

    I am with you Rico – Arteta isnt the problem per se – he has inherited an absolute shit show from the piss poor recruitment of the Gazidis/Sanlehi axis which will take time to mitigate. Some believe he should get more out of what he has but I think thats an incorrect perspective. In honesty, if we are going to struggle I would rather see the kids given a chance – rather than the static and moribund dynamic of the Willian, Pepe, Xhaka, Ceballos transitions. Nelson and Saka have more to offer in my opinion and with Azeez/ESR pulling the strings it could be a good experiment to watch

  7. allezkev says:

    Great point Iain, I think that Arteta over performed in getting what he did out of the squad last season and he is working on a restricted budget during a lockdown to rebuild a squad known as the ‘Uncoachables’ and that says it all about the personalities involved, he also inherited on top of that players who were more concerned with their public image than in putting in a shift for the team, those same self players are still being disruptive because at the end of the day in their world it’s all about them.

  8. allezkev says:

    Rico, I’m enjoying this season as it breaks up the tedium of the situation we find ourselves in, but like you I can’t wait for the summer when we can finally jettison those players who have been a major financial drain and who have been a divisive toxin in our club.

    I’ve given up on the league already because we are a cup team and we’ll finish 7th, 8th or 9th but I also think we’ll win a trophy because in one off games Arteta can get this mob to focus and perform.

  9. rico says:

    I don’t think I expected much from this season before it kicked off. Maybe top four at best. To see us defence so much better is a big deal imo, now we have to build on that but that’ll take time and different players imo.

  10. rico says:

    Having given Folarin Balogun his first-team debut against Dundalk last month, Mikel Arteta knows all about his qualities.

    The teenage forward has made a big impression at academy level, and our manager is keen for him to commit his future to the club.

    “He is a player that I want to stay at the club,” Arteta said. “I love working with young players. You can see the talent is there, the ambition is there and he can fit with our structure and progress in the future.

    “He’s part of the DNA and myself and the club are working to try to extend his contract. We’re trying to change the situation that we are in at the moment with him, and trying to convince him that this is the right place for him.

    “The moment that I started to see more of the player and change certain things that I didn’t agree with, we decided to give it a go, tried to convince the player, try to show him what we want to do with him, why he fits in with what we are trying to do at the club.

    “The young talent and the top talent that we produce at the academy is with the final aim to put them in the first team.

    “When I signed for this club it was one of the things that excited me the most because I love to work with them and it’s part of our DNA and the history of the club. When we have them, let’s keep them and we really think they are players that can take us to the next level.”

  11. Limey says:

    I remember Arsenal being linked with Maradona in about 1980,his people wanted unheard of money,in the tens of thousands pw.Its always been said Spurs could have signed him for peanuts a couple of years earlier.

  12. allezkev says:

    I think that might have been Terry Neill back then Scott?

    Somehow I suspect if it had been Liverpool or Man Utd trying to sign Maradona, that the FA would have had no objections.

  13. Joaquim Moreira says:

    Maradona in 2008: “I am a fan of Arsenal when I am in England. When I was 19 they tried to buy me and another player from Argentinos Juniors – around the time Ricky Villa and Ossie Ardiles signed for Tottenham. But it didn’t happen. I sometimes wonder what might have happened.”

Leave your comment.

Discover more from Highbury House

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading