Truth be told, I have never been so much excited for a season from some time now. Last few seasons have been completely dominated by Liverpool and Manchester City and for a change we are in that dominance race. We finished second, were on top for most of the time but a few injuries and out of form performances by our key players ruined that. We were angry, sunken and talked about the ‘same old traits’.
But it’s a new day, new season and there is a lot to look forward to. Ask any Arsenal supporter on the street and anything less than a trophy this season in addition to a good Champions League run is a failure. That’s some standards we have managed to set.
We have had few known issues at the club, most important of which, was the money motivation. A player coming to us was more inspired by the cheque we signed each week for them than the badge on their tshirts. You may say that we are still signing those big fat checks but that’s along side the motivation our players have to play in red and white. That’s a big reason in making Saka, Martinelli, Saliba sign their contract extensions and players like Rice and Timber joining us.
We have a team who fights till the end, celebrate like they hate Gary Neville more than us, gets frustrated by a 4-1 win because they conceded one, and looks after each other. Can you say the same for Man United or Chelsea? Fortunately, no. When a player like Martinelli, who is a generational talent and is proving his worth, goes on to sign an extension and drops a media interview that he would love to play for Arsenal his whole life, it means something. That Saka’s “finally” comments on Saliba’s Instagram post after renewal meant he wanted him to stay and continue to win.
And we are in the Champions League. We are trying to make some additions that will make sure we don’t have a drop in performance when we have to play 2 very important games in a week. Rice and Kai are those experienced yet young players who should have the hunger to prove they are among elites. Kai fixes the Xhaka’s shortcomings and hopefully Rice will turn out to be as good as Partey. I’m still against selling Partey this summer though. Timber is yet to be announced but he is coming to us; this will fix the problem we had last season when Saliba got injured. He can play CB and he can cover for White.
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Regardless of what happens for the rest of the transfer window, I’m quite excited for this season. A tough one for Arteta because he will be judged, a tough one for players to keep last season’s performance and fight and a tough one for fans who believe we should have won the title. It’s still a long month to go before we play our first game against Forest, but hey it allows me to get the Arsenal tshirt from the official store. Thankfully, AFC is shipping it to India.
Blunt opinion before the season starts? Winning Premier League this season and a Champions League quarter final at the minimum.
Hope summer is treating you well!
Nice piece Ambarish.
Arsenal would ship a football jersey to pluto if there was a profit to be made. 💰💰
Following my business idea about Saudi the other day, there might be a lucrative market in India for you or a mate establishing a PL agency selling team equipment and kits direct and into other parts of Asia.
You’re more glass half full than me at the moment. This time last year I was more positive given the easy run of our opening 10 fixtures. And the team delivered. If we’re in the top 2 after our first ten games this year, then it’ll be cause for excitement.
I’ve not seen Timber play so I’m hoping he’s going to be a revelation. Havertz and Rice are more like known quantities.
In the meantime, do we need to sell/loan some players? What do others think about the ideal number of players in our squad given the addition of CL football this year?
Hi KP,
Indeed, will you believe it if I say it’s costing me more with free shipping here than what it used to, in UK.
There’s a lot been in pipeline but hardly getting time with family and work, but yes, I am going to check that. Problem is that, an Arsenal jersey here costs 8900 INR and that’s 1/3rd of monthly income for most of the young football enthusiasts. Plagiarism is not my thing but if I manage to bulk buy and put up somewhere in store/ Amazon, I might be able to generate some lead. Will surely give it a serious thought, luckily (or not) have few United friends here who are as passionate and can help.
We have sold Mari (expected) and Xhaka. I have a feeling we are going to keep Balogun and use him in cup matches. Saka needs cover and if Jesus is that cover, we can happily keep Balogun / Eddie with ample game time.
Vieira needs to go. With Timber joining in, Holding is a surplus. Not sure what we gonna do with Pepe but may be another loan for him. Marquinhos will most likely go on another loan too, since we have Nelson in the fold.
Ambarish
Good thoughtful piece. I’m the same as long as we finalise Rice and Timber. We still need a striker and I’m wary of Havertz at #8, but time to let people do their jobs irrespective if we disagree with formats and player starting positions.
We can only judge when sufficient model is there to appraise where the magic 10 game marker will be a good indication of what’s to follow.
When corporates are insensitive to poorer nations with their pricing structures they cut their nose to spite their faces. In that situation I feel they leave themselves open to piracy. Arsenal is not Channel with a target demographic band of affordability.
You can go one of 2 ways as I see it. Acquire the rights to sell bona fide shirts then franchise them out taking a commission for basically making the investment.
The 2nd way is go find good quality replicas and blitz online then shut up shop. Let the people who copy you get caught. Of course I am not suggesting it’s right to do in any way whatsoever. 🙂 Go for as many Pl clubs as you can in one go. Once a year will be a decent profit maybe you can reinvest in your IT company.
KP
All you say makes good sense problem is even if we keep them, will Arteta play them?
Tony
I think someone in the marketing department at Arsenal should tell them that having 1k profit by pricing it at 6k will be more beneficial than putting it at 9k and profiting 3k.
Fans will hesitate in buying for 6k but some of them will.. but no ones going to spend 9k.
And I think it’s more important to acquire fan base here. Man Utd is a cult, City is doing it through Mumbai City, but Arsenal, Chelsea don’t care.
I think Arsenal has their eyes in US primarily, but it shouldn’t take much effort in putting up a small team to promote Arsenal and football in general.
Ambarish
I detest corporate which is one of the reasons we’re selling. 2% profit tis better than zero profit. The ban counters can’t work that out. You can’t tell corporate what to do because they know best when in fact they really don’t. Mostly, narcissistic suits at the top employ lesser talented people who are not up to the job, but pose no threat.
Anyone I do business with or works for me are always happy, as I treat people as I would want them to treat me. Arseholes are swept aside. The pie is always big enough to share when those producing the pie make it successful enough. Business people come back and workers work with smiles on their faces and go over and beyond without being asked.
It’s really simple enough until greed becomes the biggest factor.
bean*
Ambarish
You could try going another way with those jerseys. I remember getting some fantastic shirts and suits made in Delhi. The tailor offered ‘shirtings and suitings’ and he was quick and brilliant.
I’d take him some photos of all the PL clubs and see if he could make Jersey replicas – ie cotton t-shirt material. Most elderly football fans much prefer cotton shirts, especially sweaty old fuckers like me. Get him to make some samples (for free of course), take some pictures of your male and female mates wearing them and then set up a website. Small, medium, large and XL. Just home kits. Tony’s advice about cutting and running at the right time or setting up a shell company is spot on too.
I still have official shirts from when I was younger and thinner but wouldn’t bother with them now.
But an Indian made one using good fabric that almost looked like the real thing but wasn’t would be cool as fuck. I always encourage my kids to buy the fake ones these days.
If you get it going, consider me your first customer. Do them without all that Fly Emirates bollocks on the front as well as you’re onto a winner.
Ambarish
I can tell you’re a brainy and resourceful bloke who could turn his hand to anything. Think about a way to add some business ideas to your evident love of Arsenal and football.
No Spurs replicas obviously! Although Almunia would first want to ban Utd ones I suspect!
Tony – Your 8 most hated teams in ranking order… Mine are
Spurs
Man United
Liverpool
City (they used to be far lower)
Everton
Chelsea
Villa
Newcastle
Some will say, ‘what about so and so’ I’m sure.
KP
Spurs
Man United
Liverpool
City
Leeds
Stoke
Southampton (for being our bogey team)
Bayern
RM
Barca
That about sums it up for me.
Nice one Tony
Stoke… Good one. Fucking terrible ground and club. They replaced Bolton as a team against which Wenger always lost his mind.
I also hate the two Spanish teams equally. Talk about entitlement.
There’s actually a good reason why clubs sell replica shirts in overseas markets at prices at are beyond the affordability of most people – If you sell the same Arsenal shirt in Kenya (random choice) for far less than you sell it to me (I’m buying for my nephew) then I say what the fuck I give the club a shit load of money every year, turn up in the freezing cold and you’re taking the piss out of me FUCK YOU.
What clubs should do is find a compromise that’s got a bit of business sense behind it. You make the shirts regionally that are catered to that region – official Arsenal but not the same that’s sold over here and then you sell the reason its less as “we’re building a global generation of new fans who’s kids will be buying TV subscriptions as these countries become richer”.
CAPATALISM ROCKS (that’s for you Kroenke!)
Saka scored again. Vieira is covering for Odegaard which is kinda suprising because he has never been used on the right.
And that’s 3 mis passes by Vieira in first 23 minutes.
Marc,
I personally don’t think that’s the case, might be wrong though. Adidas has stores here, with recent ‘make in India’ push, they are making things locally.
Don’t even think it’s Arsenal handling the making and shipping of these shirts. It’s just the capitalism and make as much as you can. Selling a shirt in 89GBP even in UK doesn’t make sense.
Ambarish
No doubt the shirts are over priced everywhere but go and buy a Boss Polo shirt and you’ll pay a lot of money – its all branding.
Capitalism rocks! It certainly does in the UK where everyone except the 1 percent are getting royally fucked by big business and their agents in the cuntservative party.
Marc – I’m pretty well off. I’m exceedingly good at capitalism. But it’s going to end in tears.
It was a trial sitting through that Nuremberg game! I made the same joke when we played them last year. The lads were only obeying (Tets’s) orders. That’s a new one!
KP-big ups to your capitalism take…the very fact that the present model has been irreparably shaped by the rising Billionaire class, who so seamlessly replaced the Millionaires of my childhood, speaks volumes about the dire state of the have/have nots dichotomy… the richest country in the world has no universal health care, mental hospitals have been shuttered in droves and the streets are rife with homelessness, meanwhile those in the catbird seats have further inflamed this tone deaf divide with their seemingly incessant banter about pulling one up by their respective boot straps…talk about bringing napalm to a butter knife fight
now I’ve resided in several countries, like yourself, then subsequently returned to my country of origin, Canada, so I feel that I’ve got a better than average perspective on things…with this in mind, I’ve come to believe that civil strife, of varying degrees, will become an even more defining aspect of everyday life in the coming years…whether this results in some positive changes, vis-a-vis capitalism, is certainly not a given; in fact, it’s likely to make matter worse, at least at first, as those in control of the financial levers will undoubtedly become more entrenched and reactive when things go sideways…in the end, one can only hope that some sort of common sense revolution will emerge from the ashes of this trillionaire cockfight/eat the rich clusterfuck…Cheers
Can’t sleep,so I’ll bore you lads with my thoughts.
Tony,
Good to hear from you as usual. I know my posts are very sporadic of late,seems like every time I pick up the phone I fall asleep(except of course when I actually want to fall asleep). Anyway I’m glad,as always,to read that you and yours are well. Regardless of whether you make that move to France or not,you always seem surrounded by your loved ones. That’s all I want really. ( Well one more premiership would be nice) I liked the sink or swim article,I’m thinking along the same lines myself. I get the feeling that most of us here are of the opinion that this is a defining season not just for Arteta but for Arsenal’s foreseeable future. It’s going to be one hell of a season. I think it was Marc saying that he reckons it will be a real dogfight between the top 6,I’m inclined to think the same. Anyway,keep up the writing,it suits you. Maybe,like myself, you find it cathartic.
Ambarish,
You are developing the knack that all the top bloggers have, managing to amalgamate all the different viewpoints into your work,attracting us all,alienating no-one. That said,you’ve been slowly growing your optimistic side,fair play to you for that,I think Wenger mortally wounded mine some time in 2016. I do like being around positive people though while fully acknowledging my own perpetual state of pessimism. Let’s hope we’ve another real challenge in us next year, all the gooners I talk to are in the dangerous mindset of ‘expecting’. I can’t bring my miserable arse to go there yet!
Bob,
Was saying d other day how much I’m looking forward to d ashes 4th test. Hope you’re enjoying it as much as I am. Honestly,it’s refreshing being neutral because I can really experience the tension and drama without the accompanying palpitations. Hope all is well your end.
KP,
Forgot to check Haverfordwest’s final score,they were 1 down with about an hour gone last time I checked. Will you go to the 2nd leg if it’s still close? Have one eye on Larne also,my uncle brought me to see them many moons ago. Was delighted to see them making the breakthrough last year. They lost the away leg 1 nil so fingers crossed for the home leg. We’re in monsoon season here at that moment,looks like we’re getting 24 hrs of the wet stuff tomorrow. Not to worry,ideal day for the high stool!
Killroy,
U-20 final tomorrow. What’s your call? Should be very high scoring, two really expansive teams. I see Johnny Sexton had his hearing today for giving the ref a bit of lip after the La Rochelle defeat. Word is he won’t escape suspension. That would be a tragic end to his career given that he is retiring after d world cup. A 3 man panel deciding. One is English,another French. The conspiracy theorists are sharpening their knives! Our own Liam Brady suffered the same terrible fate. After years of failing to qualify for a major tournament Chippy went and got himself sent off in ireland’s final friendly before Euro ’88. Jack Charlton felt he couldn’t use up a squad place on someone who wouldn’t be eligible for the first two games and so omitted him. Chippy never played in a major international finals. In some ways even more tragic than George Best,who suffered the same international fate,given how close he came ( or am I really pushing it now?).
Right,I’m going to try to sleep again. May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you’re dead.
sorry I meant to say psychiatric care facilities not mental hospitals