Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a new number #12. Jurrien Timber is finally here, and we have welcomed him with both arms. Edu took his van to the airport to receive him personally and our women legend Viv Miedema welcomed him at the club.
But it’s not about us today.
It’s a mad, throat cutting football world where half of the transfers do not go through because of egos and money. Much of the other half ends up being wrong for the player and club. Neither Mudryk nor Chelsea are happy in the situations they are in because the selling club preferred more money and forced player against his will. He was wanted at Arsenal and he wanted Arsenal.
Sometimes, it’s the selling club. Some other time, it’s the player himself. Look no further than Alexis Sanchez. One of my favourites in last decade, it was always fun to watch him play and he was red and white through and through. Until he decided he needed money, a lot of money. I’m sure he regrets it.
But where am I going with this? Ajax and Timber.
Two clubs sat together, discussed the fees, checked with player if he is happy and decided to make a deal. Timber had an interview where he was asked where he wanted to play eventually, it was London and for Arsenal. Deal has gone through without any complications (we are still reading the Declan Rice contract, lol).
Arsenal made sure he is welcomed here in best possible way. Ajax drops a video tagging both the club and the player, giving a message to their young followers and to ours. Watch it yourself!
Now, dropping a farewell video for a player dedicated to a club and moving for a better league is not uncommon. Clubs need money and players wants progressions in their career. What’s classy here is that they dropped a message to their fans and made sure to put a kid in an Arsenal shirt at the end. They have been putting videos on Twitter on how he wanted to play for Arsenal and wishing him all the best.
How many players receive a video made when they leave? No, not those highlights of goals and trophies.
What Ajax has done, here, is that they have sold him as a player but not as a follower. Every Ajax fan who owns a Timber shirt would be sad but not angry. Unlike David De Gea.
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Yeah, it’s business. Selling club wants maximum pounds, players wants maximum salaries but it shouldn’t turn out to be a ‘Mudryk situation’. If you think I’m exaggerating this, do you remember the Laurent Koscielny swapping Arsenal shirt in official video after his move.
So, yeah, welcome Timber from one classy club to another.
Short one today, do share your opinion about it and if you remember something similar.
TRVL
Mate outside of the Harvetz signing which I’m really not comfortable with (but happy to be proved wrong) I’m happy to see us sign players.
I just don’t like blindly stumbling into deals when Arteta has demonstrated zero ability to maintain the value of players he no longer wants.
Marc-not sure if you’re misreading the tenor of my comments or visa versa, but just to clarify matters, we’re on the same side of this debate…Cheers
Marc, you know full well you’re going to jump on any opportunity to criticise Arteta. In this case he is suggesting it could be effective in more than one position, not revealing any plans. You choose to interpret this as indecision. Arseblog and Gunnerblog discussed this tactic of Arteta’s of not giving anything away, as a strength. The Athletic, in an in depth report of the Rice acquisition , suggest that Arteta explained to Rice that he had a clear plan that involved Havertz. Are they all eating yellow snow?
You suggest I am being naive. Is it not more likely that Arteta has a very clear plan and that he is choosing not to spell it out in advance?
Virtually every observer, whether they are Arsenal fans or not, believe Arsenal are impressively strengthening. You on the other hand, dive on to a quote from Arteta that fits your narrative that he is incompetent and without a plan.
KSE have backed Arteta to the hilt. Are they eating yellow snow too?
Is Rice eating yellow snow too when he says he has admired the way Arsenal are playing and can’t wait to be coached by Arteta as he feels that players benefit from his coaching?
Is it all a case of Emperor’s new clothes?
Today is a day when we have potentially signed a transformative player and you are more interested in a throwaway quote from Arteta- just consider that for a moment. Do you ever wonder whether you could be wrong about Arteta?
If Arsenal bomb this season, I’ll want him gone. I’m pretty confident Arteta and the squad are going in the right direction. I hope you can enjoy the ride.
Marc-in the real world, MA has made a myriad of decisions which are completely counterintuitive to his flavour of the week “definitive” plans…when he first arrived under the guise of changing the culture through a more youth-based initiative, he quickly did an aboutface as soon as he had his first taste of success…so even when he was prematurely promoted to manager, which would have given him all the requisite power required to take the road less travelled, he opted instead to re-up Auba, sign Willian and shelve the kids, minus Saka, for the time being…only when his veteran-laden squad went tits up did he then reinvent his organizational pursuits…this clearly wasn’t part of any logical plan, just ask ESR and Marts, but simply a man acting in his own best interests once again…since that time he’s made a whole host of short-sighted maneuvers, like with White and those purchases made in the last window, which likewise didn’t fit his supposed squad building script…yet seemingly no matter how illogical the circumstances his most ardent supporters will find a way to twist these obvious negatives into a positive…as for this window, I’m elated that we’ve actually attempted to buy a seat at the “big boy” table , but that doesn’t mean I need to agree with the transactional decisions he’s made…in fact, I would steer clear of anyone who would either suggest otherwise or try to convince you that every move he’s made has been all part of a carefully constructed and meticulously executed plan, as they’re clearly unable to see the forest through the trees…have a good one
TRVL
We’re completely on the same page.
Bob
You’re right – Arteta isn’t stupid he’s just letting the world think he’s stupid so he can spring a trap on them.
If only Pep had thought of that he might have won something last season.
MARC & TRVL
Lads, I agree with what you have posted and we’ve posted similar pretty much for the last 4 years. However, obviously we can’t wipe the slate clean for Arteta, as his stats and optics cannot be denied and are appalling in most areas he operates, but he has secured, barring the wild card Havertz, two good acquisitions in Rice and Timber with possibly more to come and more to ship out.
We’ll have pre-season games now to get some idea of how we’ll shape up to start the new season. We are 3 for 3 where in the past we’d probably be 1 for 3. The CL has used its magical charm for Arteta to entice. Rice’s window of opportunity is this TW where his options were the Chavs, Beyern and us and City. The other clubs are in too disarray to be right for a move this window.
We’ve bought captain fantastic and Mikel will build the midfield and team around his strengths, which rightly Rice is using for his rallying title calls, which indeed is all good gladiatorial stuff we Gooners lap up.
Whether the Title hopes are realised next May or not will be solely on Arteta’s head, as will our finishing position.
We are at the stage of the 2 prior seasons when Arteta culled his squad to be far too weak to cope with injuries and have the stamina for 55 games a season. Currently, we have enough players to rotate and cope with out-of-form periods, injuries and tactical reasons; we also do need too release some players, such as Elneny, Eddie and Holding ++.
Just under 4 weeks to the Forest game and 6 weeks to the TW shutting.
I would be far happier us buying a striker with Bolagun looking rusty and off the pace, but if Arteta is now being correctly reported to say he doesn’t know if Harvetz now is an 8 or what his best position is after claiming he had 5 roles for Havertz. I like Bolagun and he’s in some way the architect of his issues right now in demanding game time. The problem is Arteta doesn’t reward effort with every player; only his pets. Another bad habit.
I, for one, would like to know if it is still 5 roles or roles(s) now unknown or its brinkmanship?
In fairness to Marc, TRVL & Killroy the above does incite the ‘not again’ feeling especially when it translates to the pitch, Bob. I feel it strongly, too. It also casts shadows on Rice and Timber from some where there should be none.
It’s what A&E do next I’m most interested in. The final shaping of the squad ready to do battle for maybe 65 games in the next 9 months.
For LIR to grow we need to be firm in our beliefs but not overcook them, for which I can be and have been severely guilty of in the past. We need two make LIR interesting for others to want to join in and not feel they will get battered.
We can be against Arteta or for his football or as I am: both! His football has legs if he can see past plan A; something he gets severely wrong with over thinking his tactics, such as at City. The flaws are still there as with his in-game management.
We keep hoping Arteta has learnt where to date he hasn’t. so in that: Hope springs eternal!!!!
How about helping Ambarish with main posts from time to time. You’re all excellent writers we’d enjoy reading. Just my 10 pence worth lads. 🙂
Morning Tony,
I have never suggested that I think Arteta is the finished product. As a rookie manager he needed to learn his lessons and at the same time attempt to transform the ethos, playing style and squad. There have been predictably false starts and errors made. That said we are where we are down to his management as well as others. He has needed to convince the owners to substantially invest in the squad and show confidence in his leadership.
With his four year anniversary approaching in November, which is remarkably the fourth longest tenure in PL, there can no longer be any excuses( barring an appalling injury crisis!) he has his squad and his way of playing.
Fair criticism should always be encouraged but some views on here, in my opinion, go over and above reasonable. They are almost zealous in their criticism, always looking for the smallest, throwaway comment to support their narrative. As I highlighted, the Havertz quote by Arteta was simply saying he is a very good player in a number of positions, not willing to reveal his hand, but gets interpreted as indecision, verging on the incompetence. The Athletic are fairly definitive in stating,
‘ Havertz has been earmarked to replace Granit Xhaka in the left No 8 role but he has played most of his football at Bayer Leverkusen and Chelsea as a No 10 or in a withdrawn striker role. It is a bold move but it was considered feasible because Arteta sees Rice as having the athleticism and ball-winning ability needed to complement Havertz and Martin Odegaard either side of him.’
Another article by highly respected Amy Lawrence from today is all about Arteta’s ability to convince players to join. Instead of seeing this as a strength, some on here would simply see this as his ‘ snake oil selling’ prowess.
I could go on and on but don’t want to get too repetitive!I’ll probably get accused of sucking kool aid (whatever the f*ck that is) from Arteta’s tits, or some such name- calling, puerile nonsense.
I’m just happy that things appear to be set up for a season where we challenge for PL and are competing in CL. Exciting times!
That would be my take too, Bob. I’ve no clue what kool aid is, something LG dreamt up?
Ambarish? Some help from our younger sages? Kool aid, any idea?
I’m doing my best to Laissez-faire in my approach over the next 4 weeks. How easy that will be I guess we’ll see here.
Tony
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drinking_the_Kool-Aid
New post.
Tony, I’m too old for the ‘Kool-Aid’ language 😀
Bob
I get pissed off with you because you won’t take on board reasonable criticism. Spending £65 million on a player and then saying “I don’t know where he’ll play” is stupid. Firstly we all know he’s been brought in to replace Xhaka – whether he’ll be successful who knows but there’s an element of that with all transfers. Beyond that there’s so many ways of talking about the player without making it sound like you’re playing pin the tail on the Arteta sorry I mean donkey – “Kai is a great player who can play in several roles and bring something extra to the team” would’ve been so much better.
Why can’t you ever acknowledge when Arteta does something that’s doh?