Martin Zubimendi is a done deal. His announcement is imminent and we would have a technical, good defensive midfielder in our ranks. I am, for the sake of positivity, assuming that he will do a better job than either of Rice or Partey in that midfield.
But a lot other things worries me.
We have failed to come up with an agreement with Partey for an extension. Arteta has got 6+ years as an Arsenal manager and nothing to show for it apart from 2nd places finishes and a Champions League semi final spot. Financially, we have done very well but as fans, we are out there to see our club, players lifting trophies and not read the balance sheet. If Zubimendi fails to deliver (he is coming from a different league) or doesn’t do well enough like Partey, we would be in a mess. If Zubimendi breaks down at any point of time, we will play more than 60 games, who is going to play that role? Yes, we can shift Declan Rice but that would require you to play either of Merino or Havertz as the attacking option and that’s compromising 2 places for one player. Lets stop crapping about Declan Rice’s versatility. He is either defensive or attacking midfielder – whichever you prefer – but I feel he is more suited in moving forward and certainly better than either of Havertz or Merino in that role. I think we should have kept Partey, even if it costed a bit more than what we wanted, because getting even an understudy would cost money and there’s other areas of pitch which we need to prioritise.
Next one in the list of frustration is Gabriel Martinelli’s situation. I don’t know if there’s any truth behind it but Sky is reporting that Bayern are showing interest in him and 50m GBP is what we need to let him go. Ok, but that’s very bad. We are talking about a player who is regular in Brazil national team, have played 36, 35, 33 games for Arsenal in Premier League in last 3 season which also makes him started for Arsenal, and scored 15, 6, 8 goals respectively. The outputs have reduced in last 2 season but the reason is not because he is shite, but because he has been asked to stick to the side line, draw out 2/3 defenders and allow the right side of the pitch to be the battleground where we can dominate. He is doing his job, while being available for majority of the season, is still 24 years of age and has got goals in him. Name me another player who possess all these characteristics and whom can get for 50m! Also, if you are A Rodrygo fan, let me disappoint you a bit. He has scored 9, 10, 6 in his last 3 season in Madrid. There’s absolutely no improvement if we are selling Marts for 50m and getting Rodrygo for 70m. If you want to strengthen the LW, sell Trossard and get Rodrygo anyway. Show some muscle because you are one of the biggest club in the world.
Third, we haven’t decided about the CF position yet. We were talking with Sesko but seems he is asking a lot of money per week. Gyokeres and United love story was short enough and if we don’t land Sesko, we would probably go for Gyokeres. Frankly, I am more than happy if we do. You judge a CF by the number of goals, everything else is secondary. Haaland runs in the box, gets the ball and converts it into a goal which wins games. Gyokeres has better numbers. Do we want to pay for a potential who could be the best striker in the world, or someone who has scored 29 and 39 goals in his last 2 seasons? Mikel loves a player in the mould of Lacazette, who is better in hold up play and in position, but Aubameyang wins the game. If you know what I mean.
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So, yeah. We had a midfield problem so we are out buying Zubimendi but letting go Partey. It does fix the problem a bit because we are replacing a 32 year with 26 year old but we would struggle the same if he gets injured or there’s a drop in his form.
We have a LW that is not delivering like the RW, but that’s because our attack are mostly from the right side and Saka is allowed freedom. Replacing Martinelli with Rodrygo will do nothing while we shell 20million extra for it.
CF – we still can’t fucking decide, can we?
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And one of the Merino and Havertz will be redundant because I don’t see a world where Zubi and Rice sits on the bench, and if a CF comes in, one of them needs to go. FOR SOME POUNDS, please.
Damn good Edit Ambarish. My thoughts to a T.
We might be somewhere wrong to say so . But let us await TRVL whom I rate highly .
We do have have la creme de creme posters ,almost everyone here .
For entertainment some prick will pop up 😂.
Yep,well said Ambarish. This is not the behaviour of a club that sees titles as a must,rather it sees challenging as a delightful bonus,pretty infuriating really. If Alex Ferguson were managing us now he’d buy either Isaak or Oshimen and be done with it. I hate the idea that football recruitment is a complex process above the understanding of us peasants. It’s pretty simple really. Who is the best player I can get in the position I am most short in? Dwight Yorke? Done. Sheringham? Done? Andy Cole? Done. Tevez? Van Nisteleroy?
I get that the deals are complicated and financially a minefield. But recognising weaknesses in your team and identifying solutions? It’s not rocket science is it?
So when we are screaming out for two quality strikers and a lw and the club start recruiting dm’s and defenders we’re entitled to be pissed. And as for the talent id,Sesko and gyokeres don’t win you titles. But they’ll be put on such a wage as to make them virtually unsellable,Jesus,havertz,auba style. It’s all very unprofessional and haphazard.
Good read Ambarish, albeit we do have differing opinions on a couple of things…personally I would let Partey go, as his wage demands are too high for someone who’ll functionally be a depth piece behind Zubi and what are the chances that he’ll ever have another healthy season like this past one…now if MA’s going to get some aging bargain bin half-measure option as his replacement, as some outlets have reported, I’d have a bit of a rethink
btw I feel that Merino is a better option in the 8 than Rice, as he has far more goals in him, especially if we’re going to lean into the same bully-ball tactics of last season…Merino was an 8 not a 6 with his former club and internationally(he sucks defensively)…I hate to keep hammering the same point but we spent over 100M for the 2nd best DM in the fucking world, so if he didn’t fit MA’s more pivot-dependent system why the fuck did we buy him in the first place
in MA’s “system”, he and Havertz were nothing more than “Willian on steriods” luxury buys…our attention thirsty fuck of a manager couldn’t resist the temptation of signing anyone with a “known” name, regardless if they fit the fucking brief…so much so that he provided them with totally counterintuitive assurances and ridiculous wages
on another note, I certainly haven’t spent much time watching the World Club Cup tourney, but every night I’ll switch on Dazn and checkout the highlights, which amounts to about 25 minutes of viewing…when I was doing so last evening, I came to a bit of a epiphany…if you removed Rice’s two stunning set piece strikes from the equation, we’re one of the most melba toast sides in the footballing world when it comes to goalscoring
now this isn’t just about last season, this extends all the way back to the time in which MA first arrived…in fact, I feel like Alexis Sanchez scored more highlight worthy goals in his first 2 seasons than we’ve had in the last 5+ seasons combined, which speaks volumes about our recruitment, developmental and tactical practices…upon further reflection, I couldn’t think of a single dominant European side who ever looked so bland in attack, which is just another reason why I can’t stand our gutless manager
the very fact that he’s had so much fucking money at his disposal and has yet to secure the services of a clinical finisher is a fucking travesty…it’s just another horrible lesson MA learned from our “pass the ball into the net” former manager…let’s not forget that Wenger was so alpha/diva-averse, like our MIT, that he intentionally chased AS from the club once his personal stardom and higher expectations fucked with his monopolistic “my way or the highway” managerial model
meanwhile at Anfield, Slot identified his most pressing needs, pursued them vigourously and then signed each one in a timely fashion at or around their perceived MVs…don’t be surprised if they likewise make a splash with a new Striker signing as soon as they get Nunez off the books…maybe we’ll help them like with Chelsea by making Darwin our plan Z Striker option…fuck me
more than enough said…my bad
great points Almunia, as per usual!!
Cheers Hoopah!
Ambarish
Sesko has so many demands that allow him a get out of jail card. That is exactly what playing for Arteta is like – playing in jail. Havertz sitting on the bench – never. Arteta has a bulge in his trousers every time he sees the gangling German trip over the ball.
like I said before, there’s no doubt that Sesko is incredibly fearful of playing for our offensively-stunted manager…he knows full-well that if he’s not on a starter’s wage and doesn’t secure some player-friendly assurances, he could easily find himself as the de facto cover piece for our “no footed” German juice monkey…imo Havertz is the spitting image of the guy in those old school comic books ads who was sick of getting sand kicked in his face because he was scrawny…not quite as memorable as those sea monkeys, but notable nonetheless
…Or X-ray glasses, Spanish fly or oxy-gum Vieira. Hope you’re having a good summer man. My interest levels are low thus summer not least because of playing cricket for the first time in 25 odd years and consuming a huge swathe of a mixed bag of 20th century
literature left to us by my f-in-law.
I watched that Netflix documentary about Doug Ford and his brother the other day. Another bullet that the great nation of Canada escaped after a few lies and crack pipes. Must’ve been a fun time to be in Toronto.
What are you reading KP? I tried,a few years ago, to put together a list of novels that I should read before I can’t. I googled all the 100 novels to read lists but I never really made it. I can’t get my head around Catch 22’s popularity. 3 times now I’ve tried and failed. The great Russian writers have intimidated me into submission. I love Orwell and Steinbeck of course and ,probably because of bias,all the great irish writers. Though I will admit that’Ulysses’ is beyond my ken. Did read and enjoy his ‘Portrait of an artist as a young man’,it was far more manageable. Love Homer and Virgil too,translated obviously! Any particular recommendations? Finished ‘All quiet on the western front’recently,really liked it.
TRVL,
When the dust has settled and Arteta is long gone I think a lot of people will have to accept that the only attraction that Arteta offered was large wages. That is ‘the project’. Like inadequate politicians he can only throw money at problems. He does not offer career development,exciting football, trophies or anything else an elite footballer might want. Only wages.
BTW that post to KP was open to all. Any classic book that you’d recommend?
Almunia
The crazy news coming out now is that we’re backing off of players because of wage demands.
Apparently Rodrygo has asked for circa £10 million a year which is what £200k per week – with Arteta’s record that shouldn’t be an issue.
Marc,
Mad isn’t it? Handing out huge contracts to average players can have consequences. Who’d have thought? It’s like I said to TRVL,it was the only weapon Arteta had and now he’s shot his load. Remember he let Nketiah go for free,changed his mind and had to give him 6 figures pw to get him to resign. 265 pw to havertz and Jesus each? Auba’s renewal farce which cost 10’s of millions. Willian’s contract. Giving Sterling 100k a week for virtually nothing. They’re just from memory. If I could be bothered to research I’m sure it would get worse. The Arteta project is I’m afraid, like the man himself,a sham.
Marc
Rodrygo will have a huge asking price put on his head by RM. Perhaps they will show their cards and offer Rodrygo + Cash for Saliba.
Almunia—I would recommend Neal Stephenson, if you’re looking for something with a lot of meat on the bone…start with Cryptonomican then move into a series of books entitled the Baroque Cycle…if, on the other hand, you’re looking for a little lighter fare, try Ian McEwan…the older the better…start with a his short stories, like First Love, Last rites, or a shorter novel like The Confort of Strangers, just to get a feel for what’s on tap stylistically, then move onto books like The Cement Garden, Black Dogs, Amsterdam and Enduring Love…if you want something a bit more out there, try some Chuck Palahnuik…I prefer his pre-2011 stuff…hopefully you’ll find something within my suggestions that scratches your reading itch…Cheers
speaking of ridiculous wages, the rumours today have us linked with fucking Sancho, who’s on 300/wk…surely this can’t be the true, but knowing MA as we do, would it really surprise anyone that another Chelsea reject was on his radar…as for the Barcola chatter, I chalk that up to his agent looking to get a re-up and some assurances, following his loss of minutes in the second-half of the season after they got Kvara from Napoli…as for the latter, that was another missed opportunity on our part…he would have been a perfect replacement for Tross, who we could have sold this offseason
KP—good old spanish fucking fly…stories of horny women rubbing up against sign posts after a drop of that shit…on a similar note, nothing quite like getting swole then going to the beach with my x-ray glasses—that’s what I call window shopping for vag
TRVL,
Thanks for the tips. The only thing remotely familiar to me is the cement garden,but only because I saw the film. Very dark as I recall. I’ll have a look and see anyway,will let you know.
Hi Tony
Long time no see mate ?
Arteta appears to be on the precipice of pulling another Wenger by buying a version of himself in Norgaard…Brentford’s 31 year old captain is under contract until 2027 and although he’s not Kallstrom, he’s not the kind of signing that’s going to move anyone’s needle, even for the thirstiest amongst us…it’s so bad that MA’s PR minions have been pushing pics that are a half decade old so as to minimize the obvious Dad bod commentaries
Kepa’s signing appears to be a foregone conclusion and although the transfer fee looks to be a deal, let’s not foget that this backup is on 150+/wk wage…from the most reliable surces I could find he’s actually on 170/wk, which is fucking ludicrous considering all our haggling over potential Striker wages…what are we doing here, as we never even saw the fucking backup Keeper last season and I guarantee you he wasn’t getting even half of those fucking wages
with all this ongoing nonsense we better be pulling a fucking Isak-like rabbit out of our fucking hats or this could be the worst window yet, which seems almost impossible considering…if Pool somehow find a way to wrestle Isak from Newcastle’s grasp, we’re at best runners-up for the foreseeable future…it’s not as if I think VG is a joke, it’s just that he makes very little sense on a side that already employs the underwhelming Havertz…like the latter, he sucks at headers and in no way forces MA into moving on from our present sideways tactical malaise…not to mention, more than a third of his goals have come from the spot…WTF
last season quite a few managers of other teams worked out how to deal with our play and our points tally suffered. Another season on and the other teams will improve their performance against us whilst we standstill or even go backwards (and sideways).
Hi Hoopah/Guys, apart from the chaos in our lives at the moment, complete MA apathy set in during the run in of last season. I needed a break, but have recently checked in here to read the excellent commentary for keeping it real bar the odd troll.
I’ve saved myself a lot of needless stress because we knew and know what’s coming. We hope for a Bertha moment of brilliance, but MA’s “we are all on the same page” chorus was enough to send me into hibernation.
We had wait until Pep’s City days are done and we’ll clean up we were told by the AKBs and MA Imam Pedro. Yet, we only cleaned up 2nd place each season City misfired. Next season we’ll see a much improved City with KDB gone, where they were 3rd this season with Pep having an off season. Let that sink in.
Now it will be wait until the ‘Slot machine’ stops paying out or similar.
It would not surprise me if Slot ends up with: Wirtz, Kerkez, Frimpong, Gheui, Isak or similar.
What Slot is assembling will be the team to beat. He’ll have a real bench to rotate with, which was his problem 2nd half of last season. Now, he’ll have quality to bring on all ready to fit into his efficient, fast, free flowing football.
It could be like the Pool of the 80s dominance in the domestic league and Europe, only playing today’s highly technical tactical games at pace. Slot’s understanding of the game and in-game game intelligence is a level above most managers, but several above MA.
This season City and Chavs will have improved as will Villa, Forest where BHA, S’hampton and Bournemouth will find ways to take points off us because little will change.
My view is, if by chance we do make some elite editions, how will MA juggle the pack? Will the non negotiables nonsense start again?
Only way we get back on track is ordering MA a taxi and finding the next Enrique or offering Enrique the keys to the Arsenal kingdom we gave MA with same budget.
Hi Almunia
For me, reading is all about originality. Novels need to be, err, novel.
Here’s a few writers that I’ve enjoyed over the years apart from those two you mentioned.
– Paul Auster. No semi-biographical stodgy writing here. This guy takes you on a magic trip every time you read him. Start with the New York Trilogy.
– I love 20th century spy writing. Reading about British Spy agencies might not be your cup of tea but for human truth and proper tension, you should try John Le Carre’s, the Spy who Came in from the Cold. Also a terrific film starring Burton and Claire Bloom. I’m also a huge fan of Eric Ambler and Philip Kerr.
– I get your phobia of Russian 19th stuff but Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment is a wonderful read, and possibly under 400 pages. But take a look at Zola for some gritty Parisian realism from the time. Germinal, La Bete Humane.
– Something a little more contemporary. Will Self is a brilliantly creative writer as only someone can be while managing a serious Heroin habit. Packed with mad but hilarious moments.
– Irvine Welsh. Of course. I think his books get weaker as they go on but Trainspotting and Acid House are great introductions.
A cultural question for you now mate. What do you think of Kneecap? The band, film, music and their politics. I think they’re brilliant and love the way that the Irish language is front and centre. Something really fresh and challenging after years of shit musical banality devoid of any message.
Oh and JG Ballard. Sinister sci-fi and corruption on the French and Spanish Costas.