When the final whistle sounded yesterday evening at the Emirates Stadium I asked myself a question. How many Arsenal players currently would get into the Manchester City squad? Not the team, the squad, and I could only think of Saka, Partey, Tierney, Gabriel, Leno and possibly Smith Rowe. That’s it, that’s how much work I believe we still have to do to even compete.
I’m not saying that any of the players I’ve excluded from the above are not good enough to be in a competitive Arsenal squad because they can contribute, but the overall level needs to improve massively and that means a huge amount of work needs to be done by Edu, Tim Lewis and of course Arteta before we can ever hope to take on and match the top dogs on a regular basis.
Most of us pretty much know that that’s the case already but it does no harm to be reminded of how far we still have to go, and the visit of Manchester City certainly crystallised that fact, just in case we were deluding ourselves.
There is still a lot for Arsenal to play for this season, especially as everybody is beating everybody else except Man City, so even finishing high enough in the league and qualifying for Europe isn’t totally out of the question for us even if it might seem a million miles away at the moment. Plus we have the Europa League. Anything can happen in a Cup competition and even taking into account Arsenal’s terrible record in European football in general, it’s up for grabs.
I know it’s been said before, in fact we pretty much say it every summer but I really do believe that this summer is one of the biggest that this club has gone into since the golden era of Arsenal Wenger. There are a lot of clubs out there that are financially hurting. Arsenal are one of them but we have an opportunity here to maybe pick up some top top quality players at reasonable prices. This might be an opportunity which we won’t get again for many years, if ever and it would be criminal if we pass up on it.
I also think Arsenal currently have a good crop of players who we can sell to help finance any new signings. This might mean moving on a few favourites but the ends justify the means.
I like Joe Willock and I also like Ainsley Maitland Niles, whilst Eddie Nketiah is one of our own and so is Reiss Nelson, but are any of those Hale End lads going to take us anywhere near the level we want to be if you want to compete with Manchester City? If the answer is no then maybe you just have to accept the fact that we’ve got to sell these boys and use the funds to invest in another Thomas Partey or another Kieran Tierney because that’s the level of the player that we’re going to need if we want to compete at the top.
Then there is Lucas Torrieira and Matteo Guendouzi whilst not forgetting Dinos Mavropanos and Sead Kolasinac. Arsenal need to be moving on from these players. I’m not saying they are bad players it’s just that they’re not the level we need. We’ve tried them and it hasn’t worked out so we say thank you, good luck and off you go and then we reinvest the money in maybe another striker, somebody that can actually seriously challenge Aubameyang for his position for example, so that he doesn’t think he’s playing every week when he is fit.
Then there is the Lacazette question and what do we do about Alex’s contract which runs out in 2022, so a decision has to be made this summer. Too much money has already been invested in players who are maybe passed their best so Arsenal need to be ruthless and cut their losses even if it means moving Alexander on for a smaller fee than we are comfortable with because of his wages that are just too much. A similar decision has to be made over David Luiz because we can’t keep on paying these extortionate wages to players that have no sell on value. We cannot afford it, not anymore and especially not if we want to invest that money in better quality players.
Also, what do we do about the players we have on loan? Do we invest in them? Are they up to the level we need for the price being asked or could we get better value elsewhere?
Mat Ryan, Dani Ceballos and Martin Odegaard, all popular with the fans but are they going to be worth what Brighton and Real Madrid ask and are they taking us to the level we want to be at if we truly are ambitious?
There’s a few others we may consider moving on like Runarsson and Elneny. I’m sure that you all have your own favourites to add to the exit list too but we can’t move on everybody we’d like to in one go. Even so, you can see that there is still a heck of a lot of work to do and a long long way to go for Arsenal and it needs to start this summer. Or carry on as Edu and Arteta began the clear out last month
Personally I’m quite optimistic that the people we have at the club are capable of taking us where we want to go, it’s just going to take a bit of time…
By Kev.
Morning all, good post Kev. Sums up the reality after yesterday’s boring match. City controlled from first minute, we rarely threatened, and had we scored, I felt they would move up a gear and easily score again.
Tierney understandably rusty, Auba I just don’t know, mistakes from our better performers too as if they never believed we could get anything out of the match. Only positive was that we only lost 0-1. It seemed Arteta was resigned to that, but was surprised we didn’t see Martinelli to try and give some forward momentum.
Morning Andrew, all.
Thanks for the post Kev, a good one too. A reality check for us all perhaps and a reason to accept we are where we are. My opinion has always been that if someone like Pep was the manager at Arsenal, with the kind of funds he’s used to having, the first thing he’d do is sell off a lot of our players and replace them.
Top of my list would be Aubameyang, followed by a long list. I think I’m sometimes guilty of letting emotion cloud my judgement when it comes to the academy players but other than Saka and ESR, none of them have really taken the chance they’ve been given.
Good morning all and thanks for the post Kev.
I was truly shocked when Aubameyang was unable to out run City centre half Stones and was then knocked off the ball so easily. That incident was a damming indictment of our first choice strikers lack of pace and effort. If we are to sell anyone, this summer, his name should be top of the list.
Hi Rico and all well said Kev I thought we would have been a bit competitive and started with Laca, As much as I like Laca unless he would take a pay cut and be willing to play off the bench I would not renew his contract at the end of 2022
Hi Geoff.
Cicero, all he did during the game was run around doing nothing. Really poor I thought.
Agree with assessment.However this was always going to be a massive rebuild job for Arteta.It isn’t just the job of acquiring players that most new managers do but he he has to sort out a complete mess of at least the last 3/ 4 seasons in offloading mediocre players on ridiculous contracts who it’s almost impossible to shift.This was always going to take 4/ 5 windows.I would say we’re at the halfway stage in this task alone.Once Thats done I believe you will see a far better Arsenal on the verge of challenging genuinely once again.I do see green shoots.🤞
If it’s possible we need another centre forward , but he has to be just that . A player that offers an alternative to what we presently have . He needs to be quick , he needs to be good in the air and at least 6 foot or over . He needs to be able to time runs across the box and he needs to give opposing defences a few nightmares.
Neither Aubameyang or Lacazette fit these criteria , Auba doesn’t spend enough time in the box and Lacazette is not blessed with rapid pace ,
Maybe Martinelli does. but we won’t know until he plays there.
12-18 months ago, we lose that game 3-0.
It’s a show of progress, and though the reality of where we are at as a club hits home hard, it’s better to be half glass full right now than half empty, imo.
With the current sports wide concern about head injuries and dementia I believe the old fashioned centre forward is an endangered species. Perhaps the lack of game time given to Balogun is an acknowledgment of the present situation.
Even so Balogun is only 5 foot 10″ .so doesn’t meet that bit . We do need a physical presence as was shown in the way that Stones put Aubameyang into the second row yesterday who despite being fairly innocuous before then disappeared totally for the rest of the match .
Thanks Andrew, yeah that’s how I saw it mate, Arsenal put in a shift, nobody did an Ozil so I can’t moan about effort, but quality wise I thought that Man City just did enough to keep us under their control aided and abetted by fatty Moss, who was so one sided.
I thought we did great to keep it down to 1-0 but we’ve lost three times to Man City this season so let’s not get out the bunting just yet.
Leicester, Tottenham and Liverpool coming up so that should be a further indication of the work that has to be done to end this past decade of mediocrity.
Heading and dementia is a difficult subject and whilst I can see the argument regarding Geoff Astle he played in a time with leather balls that were like heading a medicine ball . It was only half way through his career that the first lighter synthetic balls were developed and progressively they have got lighter as time goes by as evidenced by the way they are easier to spin and swerve in the air .
I have to admit that I played with those balls during my formative years which is possibly why half of my posts don’t make sense.
Thanks Rico and a fine comment by you, cheers for the sub edit. 🙂
Being an Arsenal fan is all about being an optimist isn’t it, bigging up players and teams but the real test is consistency and we’ve not really had that for a long long time. I know that this is a very strange season, Liverpool losing 4 home games on the bounce for the first time since the 1920’s for example, but we are where we are because of poor ownership and managerial decisions over the last decade.
Thanks Cicero, kudos to you mate as you was the only person who I recall who had serious misgivings about re signing Aubameyang, personally I was delighted at the time he signed but now I’m more than a little concerned that we’ve ‘done it again’ and that is the major reason I don’t want to see Luiz and Lacazette have contract extensions.
Morning all. Good post Kev.
Man City have been beating every team for ages now so losing to them is no disgrace but it’s the losses to the other teams in the PL that has killed us this season. To me, the club feels unbalanced and the team is top-heavy with players who just aren’t good enough and perhaps don’t believe enough. Personally, I am still on the fence with Mikel and think that many fans see something in him that is clouded by other things. He’s a likeable guy who played for Arsenal and he’s obviously passionate about the club. But, perhaps he has been dealt a bit of a bum hand here in that he inherited quite a few decent players who have taken up far too much of the wage bill to allow him any wriggle room to improve the squad. The decision to sign Willian, especially on a 3-year contract is a real problem and unfortunately and frustratingly, a mark against him and if he (Mikel) stays, I hope he learns from that mistake. He also inherited Pepe and Saliba and there’s a hundred million quid there and that gets you 2 really good players, if you buy correctly and even then you need a bit of luck. I wonder if we’ll ever get to know Saliba whose constant mouthing off about how poorly he’s been treated is a problem I think. Pepe? For the money he cost and presumably his outrageous wages, he has been a disaster and all this stuff about how good he’s been lately is nonsense to me but then he had set the bar so impossibly low, it would be surprising to see how he couldn’t improve. Yesterday is his average level.
So, can Mikel buy properly and successfully and can he bring the younger players through. He seems more adept at the latter.
I know that the argument will be that we haven’t really seen a true Arteta team and there is some merit in this but we’re 10th in the league and have lost games that we shouldn’t have to some really crap teams. That’s the reality of where we are this morning. We have no real finishers at the club and the Aubamayang issue is going to have to be faced real soon. Whatever happens there, it will be expensive as he is obviously on the wane. We will do nothing unless we can score goals when we dominate and right now I would ask who is going to do that? Can Mikel improve players already at the club to turn them into winners? Perhaps he can.
Nobody believes that the constant changing of managers is in the least bit desirable. Who wants to be a characterless Chelsea? But the equation is whether the board believe that, given the present players, their contracts and the likelihood of who could be sold and for how much and who could be signed, do we have the right manager in place?
It’s a completely justifiable question. If you’re happy with the ways things are going then you will be outraged that the suggestion that Mikel is not the right Arsenal manager and at the right time. But unless we move up the league over the coming months and beat a very ordinary Benfica on Thursday when we couldn’t manage it last week, then these very questions will have to be thought through. Gut-instincts are fine but a winning team is even better.
Good point Uwot and yes it is going to be an enormous job and while it is being done every other team is going to continue to improve so we just have to sprint to even stand still let alone move forward and that’s because of what’s gone before and I think it began well over 10 years ago, we’ve paid a massive price for leaving Highbury and after 15 years I’m still not seeing the benefits…
Hi Kev, my pleasure.
Honestly, I don’t think every player put a shift in, I thought Pepe, Ødegaard and Aubameyang were terribly poor. But yes, to keep it at 1-0 was decent but had we scored, I think a city would have upped their game. I wonder if Pep was simply being kind to his old mate.
Adam, as always, you make very good and relevant points, but there are a few factors at play right now.
Changing the entire culture of a football club is a massive task and that’s what’s happening, imo.
We aren’t getting belted in games recently.
We are (usually) creating plenty of chances to win games that we eventually lose, but where we had RVP, Alexis, Theo, Giroud and until last season a firing Auba banging in goals, now we have a misfiring Auba, a kid coming back from major injury and Lacazette shows never really been a big tally goal scorer since joining us.
Give us any of the strikers from the past decade, including Auba last season, and we’d have won a lot more games this season.
Give us a fit and healthy Martinelli, I’m confident the same would apply.
That can not be blamed on Arteta.”, imo.
Kev, if we stayed at Highbury and had no oil money, would be any better off right now?
Who knows, but at the time, the oil money wasn’t a factor so the call was right at the time, I reckon.
Thanks for that Adam, some great points there and especially concerning the manager, it’s why I believe that the Benfica game is his biggest game of the season so far.
Where would we be if we lost?
Tottenham, Leicester, ACMilan, Man Utd, Villarreal, Napoli, Olympiarkos and few other banana skins are awaiting in the Europa. I’m not confident at all that we can get past them, the rest and win this trophy, certainly not if we’re struggling against a load of old rubbish like Benfica.
It’s not as if Arsenal even have any pedigree in european competition…
I agree Rico, on both counts, I think that City cruised this game to keep something in the tank for the Champions League whilst Arsenal were fully extended and yes Guardiola is obviously being kind to his friend.
I like Arteta and I really want him to succeed but he needs help from Edu, Lewis and especially KSE.
Nice one Kev,
Yes we don’t have that many good players, I think Pep has spoken with admiration about Xhaka, but managers come out with lots of phony talk.
Even our more high profile loan players are struggling, Torreira only plays the odd few minutes, Guendouzi does play but his team is just above the relegation zone, Schalke look certs for relegation, I don’t know what that means for the future of Kolasinac. Incidentally Mustafi was a unused sub for them at the weekend.
I also think things are going in the right direction, fingers crossed.
Good point Scott and yes we were unfortunate in our timing when we left Highbury, but if someone had told you back in 2006, just 2 years after winning the Premier League, that we were not going to win the league for the next 15 years whilst selling off most of our best players what do you think you would have said back then? Not now but in 2006?
With all the talk about head injuries in both soccer and Aussie rules and clubs being sued by ex-players, I think it is only a matter of time before it is made compulsory for all player to wear a helmet similar to a boxer sparing helmet
Kev. Yes, the Benfica game has become huge hasn’t it?
Kev, no, I’d have wanted to stay, but hindsight makes that call easy hahaha
Then, how many would’ve wanted Stan as our owner knowing what we do now 🙂 🙂
Cheers Limey, yes mate we so need to move on from those types of players…
A very good friend of mine told me about three years ago that Wenger had over time gradually lowered our expectations as supporters so that I guess we were more accepting of the mediocrity we were being served up. This policy continues today and thus we think, as I did last summer, that signing a veteran from Chelsea on a three year deal is good business. It is not and it’s not the actions of a club that has ambition.
Josh and Stan a couple of years ago told us how they wanted to compete for and win the Champions League and Premier League and since then we’ve not done either and it’s doubtful that we will next season. This is where we are and maybe we’ll be discussing this same subject in 5 years time and nothing will have changed?
Totally agree that Arteta needs help Kev but Willian apart, I think they’re doing pretty well with signings and clearing out those they want out.
I think Scott makes a very valid point about Aubameyang and Martinelli, throw Partey in there and that’s hard for anyone to foresee. The injuries to Tierney haven’t helped either.
I too want a Arteta to succeed but not because of who he is or his journey but because he’s our manager and I want the club to succeed.
Scott, I never wanted Stan.
We were lied to over the stadium and I’m not sure I believe anything they tell us now.
Did anyone want Stan Kroenke in the first place? Not me but I’m sure we could have worse owners.
Kev, I’m certainly not going to argue the point.
I’m just hoping, as we all are, things are headed the right way, albeit slowly.
I’m very confident they are.
A slow build is sustainable.
A quick one isn’t, imo.
Rico, I agree with you there.
There are worse owners around……
It is Adam, it is huge, but beyond that the whole competition is enormous.
I hear Arteta talking about the Europa as being our best chance of getting Champions League but I’m not kidding myself mate, we’re not good enough to win it and I’m not sure that Arteta is smart enough to win it either.
We need to go on a run in the Premier League, that to me is our best chance but it’s going to be a massive job with this bunch of players…
I think our business since Wenger left has been very mixed Rico, Wenger left a mess and Gazides left a group of middle managers jockeying for position, KSE took their eye off of the job and were ripped off and we are paying for all this through our subscriptions and tickets.
I think we had a great January window, but what does that say about the state of the club when we’re all relieved at selling players and we want more gone in the summer?
Of course Scott, I also want to think that we are progressing and moving forward, but I’ve been thinking and hoping for that since Patrick Vieira left in 2005.
Agree again Kev. The buying and selling has often been shocking, as has the contract situation for players. I don’t want to berate Arsene Wenger and Gazidis because they’re long gone but they left a mess. Then Raul added to the already made mess and regardless of what we thought of Emery, his transfer wishes were apparently ignored. Hardly fair on him.
Now it seems Arteta is involved in everything player wise so now, he should be accountable for future failings, along with the rest I hasten to add. But yes, as you say in the post, this summer needs to be a big one. It’s possibly the most important the club will have for a while.
If playing out from the back isn’t working why the **** can’t we try the long pass and try and pick up the second ball.
Kev, we are all in the same boat 🙂
We are Scott, don’t forget your Mae West… 😉
You’re right Rico ( of course you are 😀) Arteta definitely has more leverage in buying and selling this summer for sure, I just hope that the Willian fiasco taught him and Edu a lesson?
No more cast offs from Fulham Broadway.
Or any other club Kev. This squad needs dynamic players, ones who can make a difference. Not someone opting for an easy pension. I’m sure there are exceptions out there but I don’t think we can afford Ronaldo. Lol
Afternoon Rico and the House
Kev I am reading your Post with mixed feelings.It is a good post and makes the clubs position very clear
A small part of me is saying that AMN,Eddy, Joe and Reiss do not have a future at the club and if they want to succeed they need to move on.
But a big part of me is very upset??? that Mikal is denying them the same opportunity that he is giving Saka ESR and Martinelli.
Dont get me wrong I am a big fan of all three but I would like to have seen Mikal give AMN Eddy Joe and Reiss some playing time in the positions that they played when Kwamewas their coach.
Rant Over
When I logged there was just 1 comment now 40
going to read them all again.
Dicklemus you need Olivier Girond for that or a similar centre forward.
Hi Rick, I did think of you when I was writing about the Hale End lads and it isn’t easy for me to write those things I did because I love seeing our lads making it into the team, but if we want to compete at the top table then we have to be honest with ourselves about the level these lads can reach. When I watch Alex Iwobi I see Maitland Niles, a good middle of the road player who can have a decent Premier League career but he isn’t Saka, he isn’t Smith Rowe or Martinelli. It’s like the difference between say a John Lukic and a David Seaman, both top level but one just has that bit extra.
The one who I think really hasn’t had a fair crack is Reiss Nelson, but then I wonder why? Why for example after a good start at Hoffenheim whilst on loan did he end up on the bench? Why after a few games under Arteta has he so suddenly fallen out of favour?
I like Reiss and wish he had been given the minutes wasted on Willian, but maybe there’s a reason why which is internal to the club?
Afternoon Rick, I understand where you’re coming from re the younger guys.
The only it thing I can come up with on the youngsters is that those who made an immediate impact have had plenty of game time, while those that haven’t aren’t being used much.
It’s tough trying to win games and blood youngsters, especially for a new manager.
For any manager Scott, most are under the microscope unless they’re winning things.
Fans back in stadiums before the season ends then. That’s good news.
Some great comments today Rico that put the media to shame.
Kev have you seen Hutchinson first goal for the u18s
GoalKeeperGraczyke cought the ball from a corner,he
ran to the edge of pen area and threw it out to Hutchinson on the
halfway line who (chased by 2 Brighton players) raced to bighton pen area an placed the ball ipast the G/k
Its a Goal to remember
Kev all the time I have been watching the younsters I have been hoping
to descover another King. Tony or Rocky,
Theres been many false dawns but I really thought that Reiss would be one who could make it.
Now I remember hearing one of our legends (maybe DB or BP) say
a good coach can make a player a bad coach can destroy him.
Is it a coincidence that Amn Eddy Joe and Ries all had time under a certain coach who had left the club before Saka and ESR made into the U23s
As for a Tony we could have one on our books
I will comment on that another day
Sadly I dont think we will ever have another King
Rick, that’s a Kev post for you, attracts good comments.
Are you suggesting that Willock and co were victims of bad coaching and ESR, Saka better coaching, or the other way around?
Was it Emery who gave Saka his debut after being with Freddie in the academy?
10,000 for Brighton . Last game of season maybe we will need the crowd noise.
In truth we need to build 3 different squads over the next few years.
First needs to be good enough to challenge for top 4
Second needs to be consistent in top 4
Third needs to challenge for trophies while getting top 4.
Some of our players will be good enough to do all three. Some will not.
Some of our players are young enough to still be here at the end. Some are not.
Whatever happens we need to maximise the value of the squad and then prioritise upgrades to the personnel in a long term pattern.
Hobart, that’s it-this is a long term project that has to be done a little slowly so it can be sustainable, imo.
I haven’t seen the Brighton goals yet Rick but I know that he’s one of the U18 crown jewels.
We still have some very promising young players on the fringes, a year ago nobody predicted how influential Smith Rowe would become so we don’t know yet whose gonna break through?
I like Olayinka, I think he has a lot of potential, they love him at Southend he’s their best player.
John Jules also, he’s developed nicely under the radar at Doncaster and they miss him big time since he got injured.
McGuinness plays every week at Ipswich and the people at Blackpool think the world of Ballard as you’ll know Rick, the Internet for me is Harry Clarke at Oldham, he’s just got on with it and plays every game, that’s what I want to see when our kids go on loan, I want to see them getting regular games and getting good reviews from the clubs they’re at.
We’ve still got a lot of young talent coming through and although we need to upgrade the senior squad these lads can hopefully mean that we don’t need to waste valuable funds on squad fillers from other clubs.
Morning all.
Hiya Kev,
Nobody ever know how a player will handle a rise in class.
Some surprise by how well they adapt, others surprise with how poorly they go.
Part of the fun, to be fair, of watching youngsters go through the grades.
As far as the coach scenario Rick, yeah a bad coach isn’t going to develop a player as well as a good coach, but I’d have to say that Willock, Smith Rowe, Saka, Nelson and Nketiah all had the same coaches at Arsenal, Nelson had Nagelsman at Hoffenheim and he knows his stuff, Smith Rowe had the Cowley brothers at Huddersfield and they have a good name.
Wenger, Emery and Arteta all used Maitland Niles as a full back/wing back.
None of them have given him much time in midfield only Sam Allardyce is playing him regularly where he wants to play and that has a certain irony…
Absolutely Scott, that’s the beauty of following our youngsters, the likes of Saka don’t come along very often, I mean he can a great job wherever he plays.
Morning All btw, it’s a lovely sunny day out here in Essex, a few dry days would be nice, then I can cut the grass in my garden and fix my decking.
Seems as if Boris has left himself a lot of wiggle room so he can speed things up or leave them as they are planned depending on the results. Personally I was hoping for more things to be opened next month but it’s looking like April atm.
Getting some fans back into the stadiums would be marvellous, maybe some fans in the Europa League final if by some miracle we can get there, wherever it’s being staged.
Good Morning Everyone
That is a great post Kev.
And I also enjoyed reading the comments that followed.
Yes….a good coach can make a player and a bad one can destroy a player. But ultimately I have learned that the highest percentage whether a player makes it or not depends on the will and attitude of the player. If a player really wants to progress, at the end of the day, it depends on the effort he puts into it and how much he wants to improve.
A few days ago I watched a sort of documentary on Sergio Ramos (36), Ibrahimovic (39) and Ronaldo (35) and how they take care of themselves to keep at the top. They are paid vast sums of money but still are at the top of their game at an age where many footballers have either retired or are coming to the end of their careers.
So yes…..coaches DO play a part but overall its the player’s attitude and how much he wants to succeed.
Rick…..sadly we might never have another king……yes you are right.
But imo, a club like Arsenal have the power TO PRODUCE….good full backs, good centre backs, good defensive midfielders and good 2nd string who can do a very good job. Yes as Kev pointed out a player like Saka (and maybe ESR) comes out once in a while, however the other positions at the back and the flanks can be easily produced by good coaching.
Scouting needs to be done….not only in the lower divisions but also in schools, playing fields, beaches everywhere places where there are kids. I used to play street football in the alleys, where we had no coaches to yell from the touchlines, and that is where the majority of kids in my home town got picked up. And remember…..long times ago we did not only have to deal with the opposition when we played in the streets, we had to deal with pot holes, we had to deal with steps , we had to deal with garage ramps, we had to deal with parked cars……to go from one goal to another. Thankfully we never had any of those electronic gadgets they had today.
A club like Arsenal needs to take its academy seriously. And make it a point to produce at least one to two good players every season…….and have the guts and courage to sell the player who is proving to be an obstacle in his development as a first team player.
Kev, the fact that we never know how a player will handle the rise in class adds weight to ensuring we give every kid every chance we can to prove himself, imo.
Devil, we’ve discussed it before, and a lot of youth coaches are ruining kids before they even get a chance to earn the game.
So many want to turn kids into robots.
Pass.
Move.
Receive.
That’s it………..
Too many youth coaches want to win games and not develop players.
Morning all.
Your last paragraph was interesting Devil, not that the others weren’t of course, but isn’t that what Arsene Wenger often talked about. But despite all he said, our academy during his days, didn’t really bring through any very good players. In fact the only one I can think of is Jack Wilshere.
Ten days of sunshine I think Kev. Most welcome if true. I’m fed up with the rain.
Good news re the fans, hopefully by the time the new season kicks off, the numbers will increase. Football has really suffered without fans and I don’t just mean financially. Some of the fixtures in which we’ve played well yet lost might have turned out differently with the fans behind the team.
Plus, they’ll drown out the constant chatter from Mikel Arteta.
Rico, reading comments from a lot of English mates on social media, I think the fans have suffered without football every bit as much, if not more than the opposite.
It’s really been a horrible time for everyone, and I count myself lucky to be an Aussie where we’ve been effected nowhere near as harshly as you all.
Thanks DG, I’m not sure that there are many other clubs that take their academy more seriously than we do at Arsenal, things had drifted under Wenger so the appointment of Mertesaker and the introduction of a loans manager was real progress, I’m loving the way that Arsenal now do business in this area, constantly monitoring our players on loan and as with a Matt Smith at Swindon we moved him to Charlton because he wasn’t playing anymore. More proactive and more demanding of the clubs who loan our players…
My biggest regret was losing Freddie Ljungberg, I wish that he’d stayed.
Juventus work with that model Rico. Atalanta and Milan as well. They produce players in different positions constantly year in year out.
For example Juventus have Alex Sandro who is the regular Left back. But now they have Frabotta coming out of their academy. And they play him as well. This year alone Frabotta has played 14 times in all competitions while Alex Sandra, a Brazil international, has played 18 times. By the end of the year the club would have decided whether or not they move on Alex Sandro and promote Frabotta to being 1st choice in that position. Frabotta is already being considered for the Italian national team. Imo,,,,Alex Sandro will be sold to make way for the young Academy player who is still 21.
I suppose it goes hand in hand Scott but I think the need is different for both too.
Me too re Freddie Kev, the younger players thought a lot of him going by their comments. I really hope that over the coming years our academy produces a large percentage of our first team.
The days of trawling the park pitches of Grimsby or wherever for that uncut diamond are largely gone. Any kid with the slightest bit of something different is swallowed up by local academies and put into the system and prevented from playing for his school , his local club and also mates.
The teaching mantra’s of look – recieve- pass is drilled home and the thoughts of taking players on and exposing gaps around them are coached out on the premise that the same effect can be achieved by passing inside and hoping for a return pass.
When we were allowed to go I used to be on the North Bank about level with the edge of the penalty area . I watched Limpar , Pires , Henry burn players and get behind defences . latterly I saw Walcott and Bellerin getting over the half way line and start looking for that inside pass , despite acres of space behind the full back they rarely ventured into it , they didn’t need a trick even , just the old famous Stanley Matthews push and run which would have caused a centre back to come across and open the space in the middle .
Watching football on the t.v. it seems that all games are played the same way with tiny triangles , It seems that in getting rid of the Charles Hughes manual on coaching , we have bred another system that can only be beaten by diversity and that is bred out at an early age.
Good morning all.
Those players and staff who travel to Greece for Thursday’s game will, on returning have to self isolate for a period of ten days, or five if they can produce a negative test, they will be able to travel for training and for matches so long as they stay within the bubble, at other times they must stay at home.
I’m all for it Devil, within reason of course but I guess it has an an element of risk attached.
Potter, it is noticeable that a player, full-back, centre-back or midfielder, will often get the ball deep in their own half and start running with it into the space in front of them, but on approaching the halfway line they start looking around for a bit of support or someone to pass to, this often involves turning the ball back rather than carrying as far as possible into the oppositions half. I never know if it is the coach’s orders or the players fear of losing the ball that prompts their actions, but it is a good way to relieve pressure and give the opposition something to think about.
I have always encouraged to run at players with the ball and also to push it into space beyond the defender and run into it. Especially if the player who has the ball had speed to burn. Even during training I always made sure that players get quality time running with the ball. 1 against 1, 2 against 2 up till 4 against 4 situations were always my favourite exercises.
Nowadays its the small triangular patterns of pass and move for the return. There is a lot less risk involved in this. A pass and return stops teams from tackling especially if the wall pass is done with a one touch. Secondly running with the ball often puts the players’ ankles at risk from late tackles and thus more injuries.
Imo nothing beats running (sprinting) with the ball, nothing beats the breeze against your face, nothing beats outstripping your direct opponent and yelling ‘see ya asshole’ as you go past him, nothing beats seeing a player committing himself to a tackle only for the ball runner running faster and the defender tackling thin air and feeling like an idiot. I simply used to love it.
Any defender is terrified of speed.
A player running at you at top speed is bloody hard to defend against!
It’s a dying art.
Rico…..juventus have been doing that since I was a kid. They buy frequently and sell frequently.
Remember they had bought Liam Brady from us?? After two years they had a chance to sign Platini. They did not hesitate to sell Brady to Sampdoria and bought Platini and moulded the team around him.
Juventus only keep a core of players. The rest they sell and replace. And its very rare they keep players once they reach 29/30…..only those who remain at the top of their game. If they see a chance to replace him with someone who can give an equal output that is what they will do. Especially flank players and defensive midfielders.
Yes you are right that it needs to be done with caution and there are risks.
But remember…..Wenger used to sell players who were 29/30+. Nowadays we are keeping them. Auba, Willian, Luiz. Yes you need experience but not at the cost its costing us. And its costing us heavily.
Personally I would love us to sell Aubameyang now….we might get 40 million for him if we are lucky. He is not going to cut it playing as a centreforward with our style of play and whenever he plays on the left I feel that it unbalances the team. I prefer Pepe on the left (not on the right though.
Last Sunday, Auba could not even outrun Stones and was even charged off the pitch once…..and had the cheek to claim he was fouled.Even TH14 now would have outrun Stones.
The self isolation isn’t as bad as it sounds. Matches will go ahead but players must self isolate away from the game. Training continues as normal too according to Sky Sports.
Devil, I think time has proved Wenger wasn’t far wrong with his over 30 rule.
Rico, it shouldn’t cause us any problems. The players and staff can travel to training and matches individually where they willthen be within the bubble. Only outside the bubble will they have to self isolate and stay at home.
Isn’t that what I said @ 11.07?
So it was..
Pay attention Rico 😆
I know Kev, I’m terrible. Happens as we age…
I know 😉
The over 30 situation with Wenger was born out of necessity. We couldnt afford to allow an assest to either run down their contract or retire on our books. Far too costly.
It should be the same situation now but we seem to have chosen to burn money instead. Hopefully those days are behind us.
We must learn to manage our contracts better.
At the end of this season we lose Odegaard, Ceballos, Ryan and Luiz.
At the end of next season we lose Lacazette, Nketiah, Chambers, Elneny, and Iliev. In my opinion we should already have signed up those we wanted to stay and sold those we didnt. Simply put selling with 2 years left on a deal gets you more than with 1 year. It also avoids the player being tempted to play their contract down. Its already too late to maximise our money on these players but they either need to resign or be sold ASAP.
The end of the following season Aubameyang, Leno, Bellerin, Xhaka, Willian, Nelson and Smith Rowe’s contracts end. This summer is the time to decide on them.
Personally I’d be selling quite a few.
Lacazette, Nketiah, Aubameyang, Bellerin, Chambers and Xhaka.
I’d extend Elneny, Leno, Nelson and Smith Rowe.
I’d also try to purchase a Centre Forward, Right Back, Midfielder and Goalkeeper. If Odegaard does well I’d like him, if not someone similar.
Although having said that the world of football is currently skint so sales might be very tough, and without raising money purchases might be even tougher.
Not much to ask for.
Afternoon Rico and the House.
Kev it was a nice sunny day here in Kent to start with .
Now its cloudy with a chilly wind.
according to weather forecast its going to be sunny until middle of March.
We have been told we are to shield untill the end of March by then I expect it to be pouring with rain again
Rico RE your comment10.35 yesterday.
Yes I am saying that ESR and Saka have benifitted from
not playing under Gatting and Larriman.
All the others suffered for having the pair of them as a coach.
I say this from what I saw in the time they were coaching the U 23s.
I can remember making a comment about a certain game afew years ago
Don’t forget the left back too Hobart.. but yep, yet again we have player contracts running down and not many need renewing.
Afternoon Rick, ok, got you now..
I see that the rumour of Arsenal making Reiss Nelson available for transfer this summer is gathering traction, maybe he should have gone out on loan after all?
Such a shame as he looked nailed on to make the grade.
Yeah Rick, I remember you mentioning about that pair awhile back, you could have a point mate.
It’s going to be dry for the next 13 days if the BBC weather app can be trusted.
A bit of sunshine and the garden drying out is just the ticket.
I wonder what will happen with Calum Chambers this summer as Hobart mentioned with his contract ending in 2022?
Yes he’s English and we need a few of those in our squad with 8 spots available but if Arteta does re-sign Luiz is it really worth retaining him given that he can walk for nix in 18 months time?
That’s going to be an interesting balancing act given that Holding, Gabriel and Mari are fairly settled in the squad. Does Arteta stick or twist with Luiz, Chambers and Saliba especially given that he might begin to integrate one of either McGuinness, Ballard or Clarke into the squad?
Kev, DG,
At this moment for the first time in years we have some very
talented young defenders in the academy. With BFG and Bould
working with them I have great hopes we can see 1or 2 come through.
The three C/H of Ballard Macguines and Clark are allready showing good signes
of stepping up and at this moment I cannot say who I prefer.
Just maybe I am leaning towarde Harry Clark who makes everying look so
simple and just gets on with it. But its a hard choice
There are a couple of fullbacks who I like
Daniel Oyegoke and Brooke Norton Cuffy both r/backs and bothe played
for the u3s in the Papa John trophy.
they are both first year scholars so have plenty of time to play
before we could consider them as first team prospects .
Should be U23s not U3s
I think we’ve missed a trick with Reiss Nelson if he’s sold. But, as you said yesterday Kev, maybe it’s something we don’t know about.
I like Nelson a lot…..and feel that he would give much more than Willian and Pepe combined….although Pepe on the left is giving much more than Auba atm.
I hope we will not be in a position to rue selling him. Willock and Maitland niles as well.
Nketiah is another matter….between him and Balogun I prefer the latter. Then again….Chelsea gave Nketiah a free transfer….I doubt they would have made that mistake had he been Drogba like quality. I like him as a player as well but I feel that as a CF he should be giving more. And sadly he is not up to that level. He does give his all but I dont see him beyond a mid table or lower team. He will do very well in the Championship imo….but not at Arsenal or at the very top level.
Kev mentioned earlier that we have a poor record in Europe – atrocious when you think about it.Reminds me that I was amazed to see on the UEFA website that Arsenal’s coefficient ranking is higher than Liverpool and lots of Champions league teams,it seems wins against the likes of Dundalk count highly (National league standard ?)
Didn’t Liverpool have many years outside the top four though Limey?
Kev if you are still up in the early hours of tomorrow
Channel 81 The Arsenal Stadium Mystery is on 2.15.
Nelson is a tricky one. He always looks like he’s playing within himself.
Chambers as well. I’m on the fence. He played well before his injury and I’d take him as one of the 5 CBs in the squad.
Plus if we sign him up we can sell him in a couple of years and make some money.
What channel is 81 please Rick?
Tiger Woods is in hospital, seriously injured after rolling his car so the news says.
Perhaps some of summer exits/arrivals depend on where we finish in the League. If there’s no European football….
Rico its Talking Pictuers TV Channel 81
Rico a little more on 81
Talking Pictures TV shows all old Fims
It is Freeveiw and my tv is tuned it to the london Regin
Can you get where you you may have to return.
At the moment they are showing Charlton Heston
The Mountain man.
I know tha5 channel Rick and yes I’ve seen that film a few times, I think the actual match scenes was Arsenal vs Brentford in Division One, the film company got special permission from the Football League.
It’s great seeing all the Arsenal players, Tom Whittaker and George Allison.
Maybe I’ll record it, I get Talking Pictures on my Virgin TV package…
Apparently some of the old un-PC films have upset quite a few woke lefties who have complained, bless their cotton socks, and would like Talking Pictures taken down, maybe they should all move to Cuba?
Thanks Rick.
New post up now
https://highbury-house.com/2021/02/24/arsenal-need-history-to-repeat-itself/
Help