Well, it seems like we have managed to tie down WIlliam Saliba till 2027 for now. Ornstein broke the news about the agreement and it’s going to be a 4 year deal. Saliba has moved on from the one of the best talents to one of the best defenders in the world, and it was very important to not let him go.
So, Edu and the club has managed to tie down Ramsdale, Saka, Martinelli, Gabriel and Saliba, and we are sure Odegaard is not going anywhere too. That’s 6 of the important players from our playing XI. Good job from whoever is involved. We don’t let go the best of our players.
Criticize Edu and Mikel for everything but they have managed to keep the important players. You may argue that we are paying over the odds for likes of 21-year olds, but I am looking to win things even if it means we overpay.
Rice will cost us a whooping 80m+ and will demand a salary of 200k+/week at minimum. He plays for a mid-table team who was fighting a relegation battle for the whole season. Do you expect the likes of Saka and Martinelli, who are probably the best in their places in premier league satisfied with anything less than that? It’s not like we are paying huge money for the has-beens and retiring people (like Willian?).
Credit where it’s due. We have 4 years of no worries in 6 places. We have the RB and LB sorted already. Jesus came in last season and we tied down Nketiah too. It’s the midfield which is a worry, but if we are bringing players, we would have a very stable team, where you don’t have to think for at least next 2 years (that’s when these players have 2 years left on the contract and you decide whether to cash out or offer them some more money).
We are in good place. Hopefully we will sort out the midfield this season, pick ourselves up for the fights at two fronts and win something. I’m going to very specific with my demand as a fan – win Premier League and have a good run in Champions League and I will be happy.
It’s not too much of a ask when we stayed on top of the table for like 90% of the season. It’s not too much when it wasn’t City who won it from us, but we gave it to them. It’s not much when Arteta is in his 4th full season, having spent in the north of half a billion and have a team of his own.
Short one today, hope you are having a nice weekend!
Maybe we should try a favourite writers’ 5-a-side team? Or a five a side team of Arsenal players who’d make the best novelists.
Hi Tony
I think you’re right that the TW is a massive distraction and a game for journalists.
Malaga is all about beer, books (day and night time if I can find a quiet spot) and WAG time. I’ve never been in and around the city that much so I might do some walks, galleries and a few tapas bars too. Then it seems like half of our friends from Catalunya are coming to Wales for August.
The sound suite seems to be coming on. 🎶
Just done some back reading about Moore and lies of silence. I’ll give it a go. Cheers mate.
Tony
I fucking loved that Avantis review. ALL the technical stuff went way over my head but the enthusiasm of those three guys and the little things they did to take the piss out of themselves made it very worthwhile.
KP /Almunia/TRVL
Sorry, I breezed in without feeling the temperature of the room. To be honest I’m not familiar with Christy Dignam or his music, but I can understand the respect he commands.
I’ve really got my head spinning in so many directions grabbing pieces of data as it sifts through and storing as temp files in my brain. As a kid I’d bang the back of my head on the sofa or similar stupidly thinking it would slow or stop it. I learnt to harness it with different ways over the years, but when I’m in a critical inactive period, all bloody hell breaks loose in my cranium.
Unless you’re in first or business it’s like sitting on the runway 50 minutes into ‘we should be taking off soon’ knowing full well it’s BS, and you’ve got John Cleese long legs at angles they shouldn’t be. That’s where I’m at now waiting to finish with Thailand and hello France.
https://www.miraval-studios.com/production-house
This is the ultimate in studios. It is a full production house with a 2:1 studio for film immersive sound tracks and the latest tech in music recording across the room.
Sound techs are really great people – being one I have to say that – but seriously it’s an industry where galaxy brains live in harmony creating the impossible, as in the above link.
Getting there is a torturous path. For me it’s not knowing the time line; that and I’ve never been much or an admirer of patience. 🙂
of*
KP
Sometimes living in paradise can be overload. It’s why we need new pastures.
Enjoy the sun, sea, Sangria and family in whatever order seems fitting.
Nice one Tony
And back at ya…
I’ve got a one word solution for your malaise.
…Herbs…
it appears as if the Havertz rumours won’t be going away anytime soon…if this were a few years back, I would be over the moon, but I’m just not sure how he fits given our present squad and his piss-poor demeanor this past season
during a bit of a deep-dive on the matter I read a quote from a rabid pro-Arteta “journo”, “he’d be expensive and he’s on massive wages, but it has to be said that he’s a talented player who could probably really benefit from Mikel Arteta’s tutelage”…what tutelage is he specifically referencing? name one player who has lifted their respective games to another level based solely on being coached-up
maybe Ode, but he displayed a similar level of play when Real loaned him out to Sociedad, albeit with far less fanfare and surrounded by considerably less talent
certainly not Saka, Marts, ESR, Tierney, Saliba or Partey, as we knew what we had in the first two before his arrival and he certainly hasn’t made life easier on either by providing them with the requisite amount of overlapping help in wide spaces
ESR, Tierney and Partey have all regressed during their time under Arteta, whereas Saliba had to be shipped elsewhere to round out his game
so who the hell is this author talking about? surely not Lokonga or Vieira or Jesus, or Pepe, or Holding or Eddie or even Nelson, who found himself while at Feynoord…as such, this leaves 2 or 3 possible candidates, Xhaka and Zinchenko, the latter of which I would argue had far more to do with playing time, while the former had nowehere to go but up
that said, if we’re planning to make a massive investment in another player who appears to be excess baggage at our crosstown rivals simply on the basis of him taking things to the next level due to the magic training touch of our manager, we should fucking think again
As a postscript to the bizarre life of Bunga-Bunga Berlusconi (I think you’ll especially enjoy the poignancy of this one Almunia).
Full fascist funeral today. Very solemn with litres of botox and plastic filler on display. Berlusconi’s 56 year old daughter leading the grieving and consoling the great man’s latest squeeze – who’s 33.
Let that sink in. His erstwhile missus was 23 years younger than his actual daughter.
Bunga bunga right to the end. At least the partner was 17 years older than some of the young girls he was guilty of procuring back in day.
TRVL
That’s a bit harsh mate. 😊
Tetatutelage involves long hand rubbing sessions and touching the magic labrador’s walnutty scrotum and sausage roll before running out of the tunnel.
I sometimes see the value of Havertz but not on a consistent basis. Good technician (like most top German players) but not the best of finishers. I’d pass on him if it was my call and tell Gnabry to come ‘home’ where I’d gift him his very own personal labrador. Woof!
I think that as the TW wears on, Chelsea will have no option but to hold a fire sale. They can’t really buy too many players now given how bloated their squad is. I still think they haven’t felt the full shitstorm if Boehlynomics.
KP-Cheers…I guess I should have prefaced my comment by stating the positives, like his savvy in-match gamemanship or the fact that the only significant formational tweak he’s made was to play Xhaka in a more advanced position…let’s face it, in many regards Arteta didn’t have to be on the pitch for most matches as all he did was pick the same team, play the same tactics and make the same subs, depending on if we were winning or losing
obviously I’m being a tad facetious, as I know he’s not totally devoid of ideas and from all accounts he does put in the requisite amount of effort on the training pitch, but besides the passing/positional drills that he “borrowed” from Pep, I don’t see his particular stamp on these players…their respective strengths existed before his arrival and/or were honed elsewhere, whereas their individual deficiencies haven’t been weaned away during his numerous years in charge
take for example Saka, he’s always been a top drawer player when it comes to pace, on and off the ball, close control, with his left foot, making runs off the ball, crossing into the back post and the ability to create space in 1 v. 1 scenarios…so if I were in MA’s shoes I would first look to deploy tactics which best highlighted his strengths, which simply hasn’t been the case in the main, as Saka faces as many, if not more, double and triple teams than anyone in the PL…this can only happen if teams don’t believe your willing to employ the requisite amount of dummy or overlapping runs on his side of the pitch
then I would work specifically on those areas where considerable improvements could be made, like keeping defenders honest visa vie his right foot, which is a talent he’s certainly not devoid of, but should be better by this juncture, or by helping him to become a far more proficient striker of the ball, in and around the box, as he’s an average shooter at best…Saka has the potential to be one of the best forwards in world football, but this will never come to fruition if the aforementioned changes aren’t made…in fact, it’s far more likely that injuries will stymie he rise to the top as our current scheme requires him to endure way too much unnecessary contact
so this isn’t an attack on Arteta’s intentions, as I’m sure he would like nothing more than to be the manager of a title winning side, but who doesn’t desire such glorious ends…the bigger question is does he possess the means to achieve such lofty objectives…from what I’ve witnessed thus far it’s a definitive no…in fact, I would suggest that if you gave a more experienced and tactically savvy manager our roster, then likewise gave him the kind of funds at MA’s disposal, especially considering the amount of top 5 or 6 teams presently in disarray, I think we would have finished well within the top 4 last season and been titleholders this year…of course, this is just my personal opinion, so take that for what it’s worth
stymie his…
KP-sorry if that seemed like a rant directed in your general direction…that was definitely not my intention, as we’re typically on the same page when it comes to our present manager
No sweat Vieira. I have Broad shoulders. Any time mate.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/jun/14/everton-could-face-multi-million-pound-legal-bill-if-they-lose-ffp-case
An interesting development, with a pleasing symmetry with what’s happening against City at the top of the PL, it looks like our friends at Goodison are in equally deep shit over financial impropriety. A real headache for the City apologists this one.
Imagine the furore if poor destitute Everton go broke as a result of this and nothing happens to City for committing worse breaches. Either way, it’ll add some extra spice to the onfield action when the cases start to be heard. They both deserve the absolute worst.
I don’t know if the fact that the Rice story is starting to take a backseat to a potential Havertz move is simply a telltale sign that the former is almost assuredly heading our way or a clear indication that the latter rumour has legs…I’ve said my piece on Havertz, in that I’ve always rated him up until the time his demeanor and work ethic on the pitch took a decided turn, but ultimately I just want us to remain squarely focused on our most pressing needs first and foremost…I get that there’s a bit of a feeding frenzy when it comes to Chelsea, as everyone knows that they need to undergo a rather dramatic house cleaning, but I certainly don’t think that Havertz is in the same “fire sale” boat as some others, especially considering his present age and the fact that his contract doesn’t expire until the summer of 2025…so instead of wasting our time and efforts once again, especially towards a luxury purchase who according to some doesn’t favour us as a landing spot, let’s get our starting 11 sorted before we go shopping for expensive accessories
presently our priorities should be as follows:
(1) midfield-first and foremost a Xhaka upgrade
-second order of business is another midfielder
if we’re planning to play Rice in a more advanced position, then our 2nd midfielder acquisition must have defensive qualities and be groomed as Partey’s eventual replacement…if we’re planning on selling Partey then we need to invest heavily in that position with someone the likes of Caicedo…personally I would opt for a Rice/Caicedo/Partey trio, but that’s likely wishful thinking
(2) getting our backline sorted
if the season were to start today here are our projected starters and cover pieces:
White(RB) showed some fairly signifcant improvements, much to my surprise, but not his natural position…better suited as a RCB in a back 3
Saliba(CB) looks like our starting CB for the foreseeable future(sorted)
Gabs(CB) hopeful that he will continue to progress, which seems only logical if his above partner is on the pitch(sorted)
Zinchenko(LB) has an intriguing up-side but injured too often and a little too inconsistent for my liking…that said, not totally disturbed by the notion of him as our starter so long as there’s a viable option sitting in behind
Tomi-personally I would see him off but with his present injury he’s here until at least the winter window…I like him but he’s not available enough to trust moving forward
Holding-simply needs to go…just can’t handle the pressure that comes with this particular job…other than that I have nothing bad to say about this gem of a lad
Kiwor-has potential to be a viable cover piece so long as we can find him some velcro kicks
Tierney-looks as if he’s on the outs, but I would rather he stayed…he’s better defensively than Zinch but injured about as much…maybe it would be best if we had both considering all the variables involved, but I can see why we might sell if a sizeable offer was forthcoming, as he makes little sense in that more tucked in role
Nuno-if I fashioned myself a good Coach I would keep this kid as he’s got some skills you simply can’t teach…unfortunately he needs some serious coaching-up and the 2nd half of his loan certainly didn’t help matters
Cedric-adios, please and thanks
Marquinhos-I would imagine he’s destined to be sent on loan for at least one more season
as such, we must decide if we believe in our wide-side backers…if not, we might need a RB and a LB, if Tierney is exit stage left…if MA sticks with White and Zinchenko, we might only need some cover on the left so long as Tomi can return by the beginning of September…if Holding is on his way out we will definitely need another CB…probably best to get someone who can play both inside and out, to give us some positional coverage flexibility
(3) Forwards-right now we appear to have Saka, Marts, Jesus, Tross, Nelson, Eddie and Balo at our disposal(maybe even ESR and Vieira, albeit the latter makes way more sense in the midfield)
if I felt that we would have the finances to make the a big move up front and deal with our more pressing needs I would moved this into the 2 hole, but I don’t want anymore half measures like in the winter window…with this in mind, we should keep Balo and maybe deploy him at times out wide, as he appears to have the requisite pace and dribbling that position requires…now if we could find a way to rid ourselves of Eddie’s short-sighted contract, I would suggest that we gave minutes to Jesus, Tross and Balo up top, then purchased a proper cover piece for Marts…that way we could properly evaluate our Striker position next season, then if we fel that an overhaul of sorts was in order that would invariably become priority number one next summer
best case scenario
Rice-in large part because it appears to be a forgone conclusion, which isn’t to suggest I don’t rate him, I just don’t like the potential price tag
(the whole thing is like a surprise party that someone mistakenly told you about weeks before)
Caicedo-tenacious, skilled and proven PL performer, who could likewise provide us with some top drawer coverage in a couple key positions(like buying 2 players in 1)
RCB-time to go gem hunting, so do your job Edu
LB-needs to be a player who will not only push Zinchenko, but who can likewise supply some defensive coverage late in matches
Marts cover piece-a more youthful prospect with speed to burn
Cheers
WHU have rejected Arsenal’s 80 million quid offer for Rice. My advice? Make a slightly higher offer, and if they refuse that, drop it and tell Rice to stay put if he really wants to come to Arsenal when his contract runs out next year. Indeed, offer him a shopping signing on bonus for being patient.
Shopping? Whopping!
KP-“One source has described the way in which Arsenal’s offer was structured as “embarrassing”.
now that’s the Arsenal I know…it was probably more like 60M spread over 12 years and a dog we valued at another 20M because we declared that it’s mere presence would guarantee them substantially more “wins”
TRVL
More like the offers £80 million but reduces to £250 if Arteta bottles the end of next season.
Funny how West Ham didn’t go for that?