I echo putting out the welcoming mat for Kai and Declan and even more so that Mikel has got his men where any excuses for next season issues won’t be accepted in this quarter.
I agree Timber shores up our RB/RCB with White nicely. White tends to run out of gas after 60 minutes at RB, so I can see some rotation for RB but only when Saliba needs a rest to play CB.
It’s not the numbers so much but the lack of negotiating nous that played into Sullivan and Brady’s hands as the controlled the leverage and we have Declan to blame for that. He could have stepped in earlier to seal the deal, but his loyalty was to West Ham: I hope the lad shows us the same courtesy when and if he moves on. I believe he will.
Can Declan become Mr. Arsenal? If the price is anything to go by, then yes he will, as our most expensive player. I also don’t think the pressure of his price will bother him; how Arteta tries to use him might, though. Junior and I watched him quite a bit last season and he can pivot into 8/10 when he makes his runs from our half, but he’s ungainly in his stride and not fleet of foot, as one needs to be in that position – more Xhaka like than say ESR or Trossard who both defend well when needed.
We no longer need Holding with Rice also being a CB. It’s easier to see how Rice is going to be employed at 6 but how does Kai fit into Mikel’s intricate jigsaw puzzle of plays?
I don’t see KH as an 8, but a 10 back up, yes. False 9 and 9 yes he can play, and he has enough pace to go wide left when interchanging with our attack. Kai has the requisite technical skills to be successful in the opposition’s final third, but expect Pepe’s levels of defending, as Kai doesn’t like the physicality of defending and another Ozil like cupcake.
Mikel said he has five roles for Kai, so he’s going to be busy and probably confused. Kai also needs to toughen up and add a bit of bulk to his overall muscular frame although he looks like an ectomorph to me, so very difficult for him to add muscle. Mikel loves to play his shiny new toys, so I would hate Kai to be in front of ESR, and I hope Emile has a great pre-season. ESR is better than Havertz just younger and needs regular minutes to shine.
If we get Timber then we need to address the LB cover for KT and buy Lavia as MF back up or buy similar. Vieira needs to go out on a PL/Championship loan and be judged on that next summer. All in all the window is being kind to us and CL football is a magnet to quality footballers. Will we be stronger at the end of the window? That depends on the outgoings and who else after Timber A&E bring in.
I hope lessons were learnt by Mr. Lewis/Edu and Mr. Garlick. Never negotiate without leverage and a sound strategy, and next season is already looking like it’s shaping up for Mikel & Edu.
I’d say this coming season is all or nothing for Edu & Mikel – sink or swim?
In sum with Havertz, I see him getting the new player bounce but when the off games start, but will he be his usual self and be anonymous in games, as Ozil did?
That’s when we’ll see if Havertz is the real PL winning deal.
Dominik Szoboszlai’s £60million release clause paid by Pool as they gain free access to one of the potentially elite ballers. Similar style to Mount so not for Arteta then.
Tell you what, Bob, Dominik S would have jumped at the chance to play for us, so Doris, the tea lady, is telling everyone. Have you not tuned into Doris’s podcast them Bob. Truly revealing stuff her tea leaf reading. 🙂
Tony, we got 88 PL goals last year, a healthy total even if our CF was far from prolific. I think it’s quite possible that this time next year our transfer focus will be a Jesus upgrade.
I can more easily argue that you gloss over Arteta’s positives and focus on his negatives. Do you not think that it’s revealing that it’s title winners or failure now? How recently were we just hoping for CL. Great how standards have risen. Not sure if your marginalising of Arteta’s impact on this raising of expectations is universally agreed with. But maybe we’re all suckers and you see things more clearly…I think your position deserves more incredulity though!
Flippancy aside, Bob, my point is there were better and younger prospects than Havertz with great stats.
Bob,
“I can more easily argue that you gloss over Arteta’s positives and focus on his negatives.”
I left myself open for that one mon amis, as my counter is what are Arteta’s positives. So few too mention: FA cup during covid then a terrible record in the cups.
Who has he improved financially he bought? Benny Blanco is the only success he can point to for nearly 4 years in the TWs and he was over priced and only worth what we paid for him currently after 2 seasons.
So, you’ll understand my reticence with A&E fr this window. Timber is the only player I wanted that Arteta has sourced. You know my preferences for incoming so no point going over that.
Let’s see this season and we’ll see where the chips fall.
Anything less than a top 3 with cigarette paper’s width between the points will not be acceptable after 4 and a half years of nothing and run in failures. Last 8 in the CL and a domestic cup not including the charity shield. The CL is only bragging rights.
When all the top 6 are at the races with their shiny new toys I think Arteta is going to be lucky to make 4th that’s how I judge his ability.
Happy to be proven wrong.
I’ve just cued up some great live concerts to enjoy with junior at extra classes, in my room.
Later, Bob. Have a good one with the cricket and family.
Cheers Tony!
“So few too mention: FA cup during covid then a terrible record in the cups.”
He beat Fat Frank!
Arteta with the rumoured incoming signings will have spent £600 odd million – there are no excuses failure to win the PL should result in the sack or hanging.
‘the sack or hanging’ I think you’d be letting off Arteta too lightly there!
‘He beat Fat Frank!’ and Guardiola!
Bob
Apologies I’m going soft in my old age.
absolutely ludicrous wages given to Havertz, especially for someone who’s been incredibly underwhelming since arrivng in the PL…now he’s our highest earner at 330,000/wk, according ot Sky…WTF, talk about paying above the number on both ends of a deal…he better be able to handle the pressure that will invariably come with that kind of astronomical wage
Tony-I haven’t been watching either, although I did religiously watch the MMA “reality” show during it’s formative years when so many “newbies” quickly became household names…as you know I’m a huge fan of all things pugilist-related, but in more recent years, as things got exceedingly more saturated, I’ve lost my desire to follow it on a regular basis…it’s all a little too WWE for me now, as the hype machine has oft-times overtaken the action in the ring…that said, there are those whom I will never miss a chance to watch, like Bones Jones
Tony-which isn’t to suggest that I’m not following the sport, I’m just not as deeply invested as I once was…Cheers
TRVL
I’m a recent admirer of MMA, but felt boxing lost its mojo after the 80s to mid 90s fighters. I just admire the skill sets those guys have to drill pretty much 365 a year if they want titles. I agree it’s getting watered down these days, but some bouts are still enjoyable.
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Agree about Havertz’s wages. If he doesn’t work, we’ll have to pay him off. We never learn, do we? No negotiator is going to settle on those wages with a gamble, are they? So, I assume it was Arteta get him at any cost.
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Cue Bob, good morning, Bob. 🙂
TRVL
As a kid Les Kellet, Big Daddy and Mic MaCmanus were the resident comedians on the wrestling TV we’d laugh at.
Tony-no wonder they’ve signed on the dotted line, who the fuck wouldn’t for those wages…when a player really believes in a project he doesn’t milk every last fucking cent out of the till, as they realize that in order to win they need to spread the wealth in a somewhat logical fashion…the only time this shouldn’t be the case is when you’re trying to lure a readymade bona fide superstar who’s already on those types of wages…of course, if the current banter about Havertz and Rice are unfounded, I will gladly recant my above opinion on this particular matter
I was a massive boxing fan during it’s golden era, before Ali gave way to Holmes and those that followed the Hearns, Hagler, Sugar Ray and Duran, refused to fight their respective top contenders…as such, it certainly was a breath of fresh air when the likes of Gracie and Tank arrived on the scene and fought without a care or concern for weight classes or the traditional one fight per night format
no “the” before Hearns
I believe the figures quoted are if Havertz hits all the bonus targets, just as Saka has similar. If those targets are hit then every, and I mean every Arsenal fan will be delighted to see our players get those stratospheric sums- the commercial bonuses will more than pay for them if we win PL and CL!
Whatever rocks your agenda I suppose!
Inevitably Havertz’s success or failure will be tied into a commentary on Arteta’s competence or lack of. You know full well Tony that some supporters (not you), if they were honest with their feelings, would be delighted to see Havertz not work out, for obvious agenda laden reasons. They’d rather be able to say ‘I told you so’ than want any player wearing the shirt to succeed. Sadly this has been happening for years…..
Bob
I had got passed the why not …………. and am still ready to give Havertz the eye test over 12 games, although I would prefer ESR to be utilized first as he has merited and shown excellent mettle is making his own well founded statement.
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ESR is my sticking point with this. He was at Saka’s level before he had to give in to his injury. Bonuses or not he’s done nothing to command those wages anywhere. For all my brashness, I hate seeing people being fcuked over as Pepe was and ESR was last season.
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Best I leave it there. I would have had no problem if we’d bought someone with Saka’s stats and no ceiling, I’d be more amenable, as he is proven; Havertz is a 50/50 gamble at best who Arteta will drop like a red hot poker if it doesn’t work out and discard him to the bench to be Garlick’s problem.
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Willard, Ozil, Auba and now Havertz all golden boys who didn’t last long under Arteta and at what cost to our title chances and loaded debt against the club.
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Let’s see with Havertz and I’ll be happy to see you proven right for sticking to your guns; it’s an admirable trait, most of the time. 🙂 Also, if Havertz works then ESR will have to push both Ode and Havertz hard as back up for now, as long as Viera is not in front of ESR.
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We’re 2 Gooners with different POVs where it doesn’t matter who’s right, as long as we deliver on the pitch where the playing fields are leveling up with the TV revenue streams. I’d say there will be 8 trying to go into 4 this season, and where for any fan it will be possibly the best PL season yet.
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Let’s see if Arteta can deliver in that pressure cooker atmosphere where wrong decisions cost you dearly.
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Lazy Sunday for me in my Room and plotting our next move if France is off because of the instability of the country for the next few years. Junior is set on being an electronics engineer and sound engineer for his career, so the France planning made up his mind. I still want to set up 3 different studios. Just a question of where. Have a good one, Bob.
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KP
Hope you’re having a great holiday.
Hi Tony
All fine here, thanks. Internet is patchy however and we’re in and out of the villa all the time. I’m also feeling creatively constipated 💩in the midst of the TW. I hope all is well with my LiR family (!) in the meantime.
Everyone I’m speaking to here keeps asking me what part of Argentina I’m from because of my accent. It seems to be getting more pronounced with time. Hasta pronto muchachos! Un beso.
Cool, enjoy, KP
Tony,
I saw that you are reconsidering France. I’m not saying it’s a storm in a tea cup but dare I say it, if you avoid urban France then when the occasional riot kicks off, you’ll watching it on a screen and not in front of you.
Bob
I was ok with it being Paris, as we’ve had many coups and riots in BKK, but it was centralized, so you just avoided the area. When Macron ordered the sate of emergency with riots countrywide, I have to think of our safety in the long term. The kind of project I’d be launching is publicity bound and with around £2m in studios and a further £2m in property and land, it’s too much to worry about. My project is not something that would arrive unnoticed in a semi rural location. We’d need to become part of their fabric of society to fit in and be accepted.
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Last thing I want is to do is to have to employ armed security to keep everyone safe, and to be able to get adequate insurance liability cover for up to 25 people on site at any time.
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I’m talking to a Brit developer about setting up in Bangkok, or Samui/Phuket. He builds some really nice luxury, palatial properties to order.
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There’s a quality studio out of Pattaya that’s good and just over 2 hours from BKK. //www.karmasoundstudios.com/new-page
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It’s really strange when many Internet sites are saying Columbia and Peru, Panama and Belize and Thailand are the safest places to retire to now.
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Age isn’t on my side, Bob, so I’ve been onto plan B since France erupted; France was perfect but sometimes perfect isn’t available. We’ll see. I’ve said to the team I was assembling I have to rethink and will revise France at the time I make a final decision.
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I appreciate your thinking, though.
Not a straightforward decision. Would be amazed if you didn’t require greater security arrangements at locations in Latin America than in France.
Peace of mind is all, so whatever provides you that, only you will be able to know.
I wouldn’t feel safe in South America but I thought you think it strange, too.
We’ll see, Bob. A couple of years and things may be very different, such as Ukraine and Europe’s tinderbox settling down. Thailand is worry free if you can afford to live here comfortably. No fear of being attacked even in BKK early hours of the morning.
Cricket’s mental. Lords more raucous than it’s ever been.
Ooops looks like An Arteta run in 🙂
Aussis cricketers and sporting attitudes are a bad mix led by their insufferable whinging press. We’re lucky they can’t play football or rugby. 🙂
Marc
Breathe easy mate Xhaka might be staying for another season and Arteta is happy. Hope KP is deliriously drunk by now as that news will mar his holiday celebrations.
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It’s Marc I worry about most, though.