Well, I took a week off from this excruciating heat and my hometown didn’t disappoint. For all the urbanization and industries, there is still some forest left and the breezes are better than the so called recycled, smell-nice air conditioners. We will survive but what about the next generation(s)?!
So, a lot has happened since I went missing. Man City has lifted the Premier League and will probably finish with 10+ points more than us. Newcastle has made it to the Champions League and the almighty Liverpool will most likely play in Europa. For Arsenal, we lost a golden chance to lift the trophy. Saka signed a much needed contract extension in the range of 15m / year, Martinelli, Zinchenko and Saliba were ruled out for the rest of this season due to injuries but are expected to join back before pre-season. There is a good possibility that Xhaka will leave this summer and The Athletic guys are linking us to Rice, Caicedo, Mason Mount and Gündoğan.
First thing first, after leading the table for almost all of this season, the season was ours to lose and we did exactly that. We threw away 2-0 lead against Liverpool and West Ham. We let Southampton score 3 against us at home and settled with one point. City beat us, which was expected, but these 3 draws proved very costly. Adding insult to the injury, we lost our last 2 games against Brighton at home and Forest away. It didn’t matter but the game against Forest was a prime example of brain fart from Arteta.
In a good news, Saka signed a 4-year contract extension that runs till 2027. He will be paid somewhere around 15million / year. Frankly, I don’t get the criticism of putting him into this salary bracket. He has been splendid for us whole season, had few rough games at the end but you can’t really blame the kid when he is being played every game and kicked and pushed throughout. My belief is that, if you buy a high profile player like Antony at United, pay a fee of 80m and then offer him another 300k/week, it’s not sustainable. We must understand that we are saving the need to find this 80m to buy a player of Saka’s calibre. This is also different to what we offered to Ozil. Ozil was past his prime, everyone knew he is only going to get regressed and it led to a situation where no one was happy. Saka’s case is different, so was Martinelli and if Saliba signs, I won’t mind if we offer him a 200k/week wage. These group of players are young, they can be the best player in their positions and winning ‘with’ them is more important than encashing them now and then bringing someone else hoping they turn out to be equally good.
We have some injury concerns, Zinchenko is out, Saliba’s back injury is taking time, Martinelli picked up a knock and is ruled out for the rest of this season. Not that it matters now, but hopefully they will all be back by next season.
It came out as a surprize to me when various media outlets linked Xhaka with Bayer Leverkusen. He is getting a 4 – year contract, and is almost a done deal. I don’t mind it, I have been asking for an upgrade to his position from god knows when, and if it’s ending in a happy way for both the parties, it’s a good thing. I must also applaud Xhaka for his service this season, he has made a lot of us eat a humble pie with his performance in lots of games. We mustn’t discredit him, he was part of a team that stayed at the top for more than 30 weeks against the likes of Manchester City.
So, whom are we getting? There’s been a lot of rumours, Rice, Caicedo, Mason Mount, Gundogan but I will keep this part for the next articles. Wrapping up for now, hope you are having a good week. If not, there’s a thing called mid-week beer and Wednesday qualifies for that.
Cheers!
TRVL , no pissing contest, sorry that it came across as that. When someone is firm about their opinion it tends to trigger me. I blame my older brother who has always been an opinionated so and -so and has affected how I respond to a certainty that I don’t agree with!
Kroenke , ridiculous that Arteta doesn’t get in the top 5.
Bob-or a carefully crafted list that took all the logical coaching/managerial metrics into account…I’m not even sure if he would be in the top 7, as I would have ten Hag and Emery(albeit a smaller sample size) ahead of him, which speaks volumes, especially in a season where we were in first for the vast majority of the time…maybe a little rethink is in order? Cheers
The 13 writers of the mirror rated the managers of this season and selected De Zerbi 3x, O’Neil 3x, Pep 2x, Howe 2x, Arteta 1x, Emery 1x, Silva 1x.
Killroy-I’m quite surprised ten Hag didn’t garner at least one vote considering the managerial shit show he faced in the first half of the season…a lesser manager might have crumbled under those circumstances, instead he locked in a CL spot and still has a chance to lift the FA, although they’re clearly the underdogs
TRVL
Same here I do believe he deserved a mentioning but looks like the 13 writers didn’t rate him.
Killory-he doesn’t really ingratiate himself with media-types, which may have come into play when it came time to vote…this shouldn’t factor into the equation, but it has been known to happen
Check out the mirror article and each writer gives their opinion why they voted for the individual, but I kind of agree on merits ETH deserves fully to be considered MOY.
I was just reading an article entitled “Journalist buzzes over 175M duo Arsenal to sign” and at first the sheer enormity of the price tag made me pause, as I couldn’t wrap my head around the notion of this organization investing so heavily on just 2 players, but then when I realized they were talking about Rice and Mount I must admit I threw up a little in my mouth…not because I don’t rate them both, but neither has the resume to justify that kind of expenditure
Rice might just be the kind of engine room player this team has long craved for, as he has the requisite size and physicality, but I don’t like what the tape on him suggests, especially if they envision him as a direct Xhaka replacement…don’t get me wrong, I would take Rice strapped to a chair over our hopefully departing Swiss miss, but I just don’t see how his constant presence in the final third takes us to the next level, except maybe when it comes to set pieces…based on what I’ve witnessed, both with the Hammers and on international duty, I always assumed he was best suited as the kind of DM who enabled more skilled players to go hunting…I know he’s scored a few more goals as of late, but he just doesn’t have the link-up play capabilities or end product to be that kind of game-changer…maybe his massive price tag requires him to play farther up the pitch so the measurables make more sense or maybe he’s always desired playing in a more advanced role and we’re willing to provide him with those kind of assurances, but regardless of the particulars I’m not sold on this idea
as for Mount, he definitely has an intriguing up-side, but the homegrown tax seems a little steep…when he first arrived on the scene his high energy, directness and knack for scoring from distance impressed me greatly, but he clearly has suffered a significant setback this term…now some of this can be chalked up to the sad state of the franchise, the managerial upheaval and a bloated roster, but if you’re as good as some would attest, how is it possible that any manager, let alone one struggling for goals and results, continually refuses to insert you into the starting lineup…in fact the last couple of times I watched him play his performances were rather dire…now if our intention was to have this player replace Xhaka, thereby teaming him up with Ode directly behind the front 3, I can see the thought process…let’s just not go all gaga over a player simply because of his fairly consistent England inclusion, as that means relatively little from a club level perspective except for the obvious negative connotations related to burnout and/or the increased potential for injuries
on the more positive side of the equation I do like headlines that pontifcate about us going big game hunting, as that hasn’t always been the case at l’il’ ole Arsenal…even if these particular rumours have little to no validity it raises expectations on the club when it comes to making big moves…let’s just hope they make the right moves for the right reasons, as we’re the same organization who just two seasons ago paid almost 60M for a CB then a year later he was playing out wide right
TRVL & Killroy
“he doesn’t really ingratiate himself with media-types”
No, he doesn’t. Journalists are a hard nosed bunch who have to look after number 1 all of the time, in their reporting trenches, such is the nature of their cut throat business. They have no compunction to do their job whether it be hatchet job or to sway opinion where their motto is, “Never let the truth stop a good story”. Reporters are the Orcas of the print media world whose stories today are tomorrow’s fish & chip paper.
Old sayings I know but roving reporters today have so much tech at their disposal stories are much easier to either manufacture – god forbid such a travesty/honey trap happen these days – or the greasing of palms to spill their first hand knowledge beans. Basically, Arteta is scared of the press where he has someone holding his hand off camera and his uncomfortable body language, such as staccato speech speeds, unable to keep eye contact and inability to connect with the reporters shows Arteta’s wariness of distrust.
Arteta knows the one thing he can’t fight/control is the press when they go after someone. The story will always come first, but Arteta will be protected at all times by our press dept and PR spin office, as Arsne was. However, nothing pisses off a journalist more than there being an air gap between them and their story and Arteta doesn’t know how to work the press when he needs to, Wenger did! GG had a no nonsense report with the press until he didn’t where his notorious story was far bigger than any friendship with a reporter: it’s their job to be first with the story.
Arteta fearing the press is my impression. Wenger looked down on them as well as us fans. The press ultimately helped build Wenger’s career as a manager first with their reporting of a professorial manager changing football as we knew it.
After 2009; they smelt blood where a new feeding frenzy was about to start slowly because Wenger’s gradual demise. Arsne didn’t mind as the same Brutus’ writing of Wenger’s fall from The Arsenal’s grace would be there to promote his book and use his alleged newly found ideas from the left field, such as wanting the pitches to be made 80 meters square or was it a square ball to make dribbling more difficult and thus more turnovers.
For me, Arteta is showing signs of the pressure getting to him as Emery did in the last few games in charge. He looks worried like never before and he knows he has to deliver this season. He won’t want to be in the press for the wrong reasons as next season kicks off, so our press and PR dept will be force feeding the press, which is something they literally hate. Interviews will be question vetted and difficult questions pre and post match are glossed over to be put aside by Arteta’s press minder, such as let’s come back to that if there’s time at the end. Meaning next question!
I thought Mikel’s statement to the press that he has to get this TW right that suggest he feels he & Edu’s previous windows have not been good, which all here would readily agree.
I Believe it was Craggio who found Martinelli, not Edu and Craggio was made redundant around the time Martinelli arrived. I think it was Marc who posted here that Arteta hasn’t improved a player’s financial worth who Arteta has brought in.
Thinking like Bob for a moment and the press; one can ask if Arteta was to blame for his notoriety having been set up by idiots like Pedro as ‘Generational’ with zero managerial experience, and where he has proved to be anything but, because Mikel can’t find consistency not even with the same 13 players.
Arteta’s bar was high starting his management gig, and then dropped to unacceptable levels and be seen to choke any real advancement he’s made in nearly 4 years. It’s hardly the Roy of the Rovers of yester-years.
Arteta is well protected I would imagine from Tim Lewes downwards who will have sports editor’s/newspaper lawyers on speed dial working out how they can scratch each other’s backs on this one?. This in turn will alienate Arteta to the roving sports journalists for being told how to report by their editors.
Indeed, Mikel and Edu HAVE to get this window right to stand any chance of delivering next season. From what is being banded about is that we have £180m war chest from KSE and can increase spending with selling players. Yes, that old chestnut again. The scene has been set for a financially inept TW as before.
We’re looking at the £60m to £100m elite and elite in the making already top shelves, but how many of those players will want to play for Arteta? Mike’s recent big targets didn’t. Of course, we are all hoping that CL football will make the difference in landing key experienced winners around 24 just entering their prime years who can all move there needle to where we want it to be: winning a PL title or CL cup. Both would be exquisite.
Why can’t KSE just say, right keep selling who you can and we’ll give you £250m in private for the summer TW. If you get more than £70m for players you canard that to your summer TW kitty. It’s like being hamstrung not knowing what your final budget is going to be.
I won’t be commenting on possible ins, but I certainly don’t want to see KT, Partey and Bolagun go. We need a bench that can be used seamlessly integrating when called on. Sell Jorginho (not a needle pushers) Holdingho, AMN, Soares, Eddie and Zinchenko. Gazza was funny when he cried, Zinchenko is pathetic.
KP
Sad but probably true – your CL prophecy.
Almunia
Could writing satire be a cure for the Dt’s? It’s cathartic for me. 🙂
Tony, I think the better question is ‘How many of these elite players want to play for Arsenal’ rather than ‘How many of those players will want to play for Arteta?’
I don’t think Mudryk had any influence on the decision by Donetsk to sell him to Chelsea over Arsenal and Bloom didn’t want to sell Caceido to us in January( I think with a degree of confidence that Caceido would’ve happily come to Arsenal and he still would).
With respect I think you’re projecting your views of Arteta onto these players. More than it has been for many years, Arsenal is an extremely attractive option for the top players and that is with Arteta or in spite of Arteta depending on your view!
Off to visit my mum for the day up in Market Harborough. Love going to St Pancras, lovely station, 55 mins direct. A lot of sad Leicester fans mind!
Interesting thinking about the press and Arteta dynamics. Try and get my head around that!
Harborough. Nice traditional market town if a bit twee. Some of the old red brick architecture is very pleasing.
Stay well lubricated on the train Bob! That’s what they’ve become these days for many people – mobile, intercity pubs.
I spent my formative years in the cultural armageddon that is nearby Corby. A town of 60K people at the time with no cinema nor bookshop and a disappearing steelworks. A new town which rapidly became an ex town.
If you’ve not already been, get your mum to drive you up to Foxton Locks (near Gartree gaol) which is a terrific feat of engineering. Enjoy.
Bob
Mickey Mudflaps had the final say where he went. Vlahovic was blunt in his wanting Juve over us. Buendia was another. Mikel has created a lot of negative optics for agents to use against Mikel and sway their clients elsewhere. It has nothing to do with my views of Arteta, it’s fact based on history. I wish Arteta was attracting Jude B and others of his quality, but he’s not.
Caicedo, Mac Alister and Mitoma and we’re cooking especially if we keep Partey. Midfield done for the next 5 years. Options there for 6, 8 & 10. Add a 1.90m striker (not Weghoust) who can jump like M Jordan with greater pace and we’re set.
All the above options fit Mikel’s football identity and the BHA boys can fill Arteta in how Brighton press so well as TRVL explained recently.
I’d get rid of Jesus with Zinchenko, they kind of worked, but not well enough to push the needle to winning titles. They were B level City players Arteta wanted to make into Arsenal ‘A’ level starters. In fact Jesus nullifies Trossard, so keep Trossard.
It’s where we need Arteta to be ruthless, as he always talks about at TW time.
Add a decent RB and LB cover for KT and reap Saliba for at least 5 years unless his back is problematical.
As for the press I learnt at an early part of my music career how they worked, where an old Fleet St ex music loving editor was a mentor for several years before his passing. The mechanisms I posted are correct where each paper have in house legal teams checking facts and wheat can and what is too close to the line to be sued if printed.
I think Arteta lives and breathes football and is a clean living family man, so that side of the press is what I’d call “Lineker” proof. Was he ever booked? Lineker’s biggest faux pas was shitting himself during a game. Literally. So, no, I don’t see Arteta front page of the red tops at all, and the internal leaks seem to have stopped. Unanswered questions remain, though, chiefly as to why ESR didn’t get game time – Arteta repeating what he did previously to Martinelli 2 seasons ago.
The club now feeds the press and hope that Mikel is constant in challenging this coming season. Winning gives the club press leverage. Start losing and the club loses its control of the narrative the press. The blogs bar LIR are keeping their coffers full from pro Arteta support, as Pedro does with his worn out formula he uses over and over again.
Whereas we have no formula or agenda other than wanting Arsenal to challenge and win and posting what we see.
At LIR we ask questions and make predictions that are sadly all too correct because Arteta is too easy to read.
Let’s hope our winning prayers get answered for this coming season.
Sorry Bob got distracted by Junior coming home. The London stations are wonders of architecture of the Victorian era. Nice part of the world Leicester and a decent Uni. When ever someone says they are going to see their mum I always think of the Maureen Lipman advert playing the Jewish mother and her poor suffering son, Malcolm. Cough sweets I think was the advert.
Not aimed at you, Bob, just that it triggers that memory of the advert.
with chatter centering around the notion that the Kroenke’s are on board for 4 priority signings, it’s clear that some players I suspected were in the shop window just might be staying put…at first blush I was quite convinced that Tierney, Nelson, ESR, Xhaka, Balo, Holding and maybe even Partey were out the door, but I’m starting to lean towards the notion that, at the very least, both ESR and Nelson will be donning the red and white come next season…if I had to hazard a guess I would say that we will target two backline players, one CB and a RB or LB, a midfielder and a forward, which would likely mean that we won’t be getting both Caicedo and Rice, unless the former is brought in to primarily play as a wingback
of course, all of this depends on a few things, like the re-upping of Saliba, the projected recovery time of Tomi and whether MA will give Balo’s camp some assurances about playing time…from a purely financial perspective, retaining a few players will be viewed by our administrative wing as a savvy move, rightly or wrongly, especially knowing that we will require more depth considering the added demands of the coming season
unfortunately our previous strategy of spreading the wealth, when it comes to our transfer business, hasn’t got it done, unless a revamping of the Wenger Cup model wets your expectational whistle…personally I believe that so long as we can lock up Saliba, I would splash the cash on two seminal midfield pieces, one DM and another more offensively-minded CAM, and purchase the kind of RB who can properly unlock Saka, then I would keep Balo, ESR and Nelson for cover in a variety of positions…let’s face it, with MA’s propensity to stick with his “best” 11, it would be stupid not to spend the vast majority of our transfer bounty on those who would become definitive starters, instead of being slick and trying to get 5 or 6, with most being coin toss propositions like Vieira
Tony, think Mudryk wasunder emotinal blackmail as 20% of transfer was going to Ukraine war effort. It’s a moot point as Chelsea offered more.Vlahovic to Juve not sure if that proves your point and Buendia. not sure ifhe’s atop player! Think you’re over egging the pudding!
TRVL – shock, horror I’m in complete agreement with your post!
Kroenke, funnily enough my sister and family have lived in Foxton for years. Have walked up to the locks many, many times.
I guess they were started in the early 19th century? 13 locks is it in total? All within little more than a few barge lengths apart. Last time I was there I took a short boat trip towards Leicester (I assume). It’s wonderful to stand at the bottom and look upwards.
It’s fascinating to imagine when it was a busy aquatic junction right at the heart of England’s canal network.