Arsenal introduce Braintrust approach to ensure future success

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Ivan Gazidis held an impromptu gathering at Arsenal yesterday to talk fans through plans with his brand spanking new modern team. It feels like the man who has been burdened with ‘what does he fucking do’ and ‘we need more footballing people at the club’ is truly enjoying the limelight as an actual CEO for the first time in 10 years.

I think the key message he’s trying to deliver is that Arsenal is run in a far more democratic way these days. Part of the messaging is we have something new, part of it his way of very publicly stating the old regime wasn’t him.

“We really have a collective effort now, in terms of how we identify players and then how we take forward our interest, and of course Unai is a huge part of that,”

“This is now a different way of doing things, one with a very, very accomplished team of professionals who we have spent time bedding into the club.”

This sort of model might read alien to some folk, but it’s been the one we’ve been pushing for over the past ten years on here. Arsene Wenger’s strength at the beginning of his career was consistently getting decisions right and doubling down on them with major trophies. He was the go-to guy for everything, from player wages, down to the crockery change outs in the training ground canteen.

That method of management only works when you’re winning. Wenger built out a team of psychophants around him that wouldn’t challenge his methodologies, and sadly, the manager truly believed there was a place in the game for a team that simply believed in expressing themselves in a socialist system of comfort would be enough.

Thankfully, we have a CEO who recognised there was a serious need for diverse, expert opinion at the highest level. We now have someone who specifically looks after contracts and finances, well, we have two in Raul and Huss. We have a chief scout who has a modern team of analysts crunching numbers and tracking squad needs. We have a manager who is happy to work in a system that decentralizes power and responsibility.

Some of Ivan’s comments read very much like he’d read Ed Catmull’s book Inc. If you haven’t jumped into it, it’s a fascinating read on how cartoon giant Pixar has maintained creative excellence over the years. One of the approaches is the Braintrust.

‘One of Pixar’s key mechanisms is the Braintrust, which we rely on to push us toward excellence and to root out mediocrity. It is our primary delivery system for straight talk. The Braintrust meets every few months or so to assess each movie we’re making. Its premise is simple: Put smart, passionate people in a room together, charge them with identifying and solving problems, and encourage them to be candid. The Braintrust is not foolproof, but when we get it right, the results are phenomenal.’

It appears Ivan has his Braintrust, and his task force has been going at mediocrity quite hard. It’s all very exciting, and I can’t tell you how much joy I’ve taken in watching the club go full steam into the changeover. I thought we might take it a little slower. Not a chance. We’re doing it all in one year, and it feels like there’s very much a plan.

Year -1: Employ backroom people to see what the mess looks like, start fixing the squad in January

Year 1: Fire the manager, rip out the backroom team, build the squad with top 4 in mind. That means prioritise experience over youth.

Year 2: Start rotating out the older players with younger folk, spend more on shiny objects

Year 3: We’re ready to challenge for the title. Everything is in place.

I mean, that’s just my topline guess. Top 4 seems like the real goal this season. What I do find tantalising is the fact we have Europa League. Now, I know that Emery is going to want to win that, but I think if we find the right balance with our squad early this season, we could challenge for the league. What we lack in quality, we can make up in with fresh legs. Emery can spend the first half of the season with a team that’ll only play once a week. That’s been a huge advantage to Liverpool, Chelsea and Leicester over the years.

Can City maintain their focus? Will Chelsea manage to sort their mess of a summer in time for August? Will United collapse under the meanness of Mourinho? Can Spurs go another season without major injury to their big players?

Lots to consider.

Mesut Ozil will at least be fresh for the start of the season, his limp German side hobbled out of the World Cup after taking a beating from South Korea. The VAR came to rescue again and awarded the Koreans a late goal, an absolute masterpiece in my opinion. Germany suffered with a manager who has been on the job too long. They needed fresh ideas and they needed to take their best players. I mean, pretty average summation there, but on a another point, remember all the folk calmouring for Joachim Low to be our manager?

Imagine how flaccid you’d feel right now if he were coming back early…

‘At least he has time to focus on Arsenal, probably did it on purpose’

… would have been the quip.

ENGLAND are up today. The best result would be a loss, but let’s be real, there’s no way you’re going to keep our young lions from ripping Belgium a new one.

BRING IT ON!

Right, that’s me done. Listen to our ace podcast.

We talk:

  • Granit Xhaka and Swiss thoughts
  • Mesut Ozil and the Bling Bling gang
  • Bernd Leno and the state of our exkeepers
  • How Spurs make us feel about England

ENJOY!

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1.4K Comments
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alexanderhenry

Boo

karim

What a shot !

Redtruth

Where the fuck is VAR when you need it. Penalty..That was a beauty..

Elmo

That will be goal of the tournament.

Dream10

Bring on Aguero
Bring on Ousmane

Let’s go!

Jay

Lol who predicted that high scoreline earlier in the day

What a goal!

Ishola70

Nice hit

S Asoa

(Lack) of class of rookie Argentina goalkeeper showing. France should shoot. Chance will go in

Dissenter

He sliced that ball badly.
He will never score a more lucky goal.

TonyD

Looks like you called it right Graham.

Great game World Cup finally come alive

Victorious

Pavard!!!!… no better way to remedy for an error

Champagne charlie

Graham

I take it back good sir!!! Goalzzzz galore 😀

Goonah

Fcking hell..that was goal of the tournament so far

gonsterous

goal of the tournament, surely…

Victorious

Diver Di Maria..Messi to join the party soon

azed

Argentina needs a striker in the box. This is so obvious.

Dissenter

It was his shin that hit the ball, not his foot.
Lucky Pavard

Goonah

On the bounce and managed to keep it under the bar..good stuff from a defender

gonsterous

won’t be surprised if Argentina finish with 10 men..

Sanmi

How did sampaoli bcom a coach?
You play a semi final without a striker? And play messi in a position where he’d be crowded?

Goonah

on his shin? not to me..he hit it exatcly where he wanted…..need more replays to be sure thou ^^

Dissenter

Messi is playing like a magnet tab on a. fridge door.
He’s too static…like he’s constipated or something.

karim

Yo !

Victorious

lol.. DESERVED!!!!!!

Ishola70

Through the keeper

Dissenter

The legend of Messi
Where is he????

Jay

Mbappe!!!!!? What a move for the goal

Dream10

Tremendous from the budget Eddie Nketiah

alexanderhenry

Bring on Aguerro ffs

gonsterous

pickford would have saved that…

Dissenter

The goalie is poor
That should have been a save with his legs

Sanmi

Dissenter

Messi is playing like that because the coach is not playing players that make runs off the ball, that will give him someone he can pass to or drag defenders so he’s not crowded

azed

Argentina has the worst defence in this tournament.

Victorious

mbabbe has been superb MOTM hands down? can we get him? Emery put in a word!!!!!

Goonah

defensive lineup from the argies so thought a 0-0 mby

what do I know….fck all

Sanmi

Fucking idiot of a coach

Dissenter

Messi is already dropping his head.
He will start throwing ups soon.
He has to take the game by the scruff of the neck and force France to make errors.

karim

Go get the 4th one now please !!!

Victorious

The legend of Messi
Where is he????

Dunno mate.. maybe in Kanye’s dark pocket?

Danny

Has Giroud touched the ball yet?

Victorious

*kante

karim

Thanks mate !

Dissenter

I’m a neutral in this game
But fir Karim, the classy poster, I want France to win…just for him.

Victorious

lol.. gonna end in tears for messi

Danny

You see I spoke and Giroud makes the goal!

karim

Thanks Diss !

Ishola70

Argentina so delicate defensively.

France could notch a few more here.

Victorious

Mbabbe again

Goonah

Messi found it a disavantage for Argentina playing nighttime

gonsterous

giroud lol. He does play to his strengths..

Victorious

Where are the fucking Messi fanboys..?

Ishola70

Past Argentine defences will be looking on in horror at this present Argentina defence.

Guns of Brixton

Theres only one Number 10 out there who matters!!!!

MBAPPE!!!!

gonsterous

any one know how many chances giroud has missed ? we all know he needs at least 6 chances to score a goal…

TheLegendaryDB10

Karim

You got your wish!!! What a barmy game!

4-2! Allez les Bleus!!!!

Mbappe doing what Messi should be doing.

Northbanker

What a game this is – just don’t understand what Giroud is doing in that team. Lacazette would have been a better choice

Dissenter

France has woken up people
Change all those permutations, they have a wonder kid who has everything.

Compare Mbape’s goals to all the static penalties Harry Kane has scored.

Sanmi

What has messi got to do with this shambles of a team

Dissenter

“What a game this is – just don’t understand what Giroud is doing in that team. Lacazette would have been a better choice”

There’s a book that answers your question
It’s called “football basic principles 101”
Giroud and Laca are different types of strikers.
Mbappe is playing better due to Giroud.

Paulinho

Messi absolute shite.

Too many times it’s too easy to predict he will do fuck all in terms of dribbling against a half-organised team with some athleticism.

Without a line-breaker behind him(Iniesta) he needs to play against half-asleep teams to use his dribbling.

azed

Meza ?? Are you fucking kidding?

karim

Cheers Dennis, it does feel good !

gonsterous

northbanker

say what you like, but giroud has offered a lot in this game. he’s been winning most of the long balls with his headers..

WengerEagle

Dissenter with the usual knee jerk stuff.

Messi crap, M’Bappe mini Jesus.

Dissenter

“What has messi got to do with this shambles of a team”

The Messi boys are already lining up excuses
This is his fourth World Cup. He’s the leader of the team. This one is on him as much as the manager.

Victorious

Sanmi he’s been AWFUL..

WengerEagle

Lol done and dusted, Meza on.

Receding hairline

why is Pavon highly rated by some on here?

Sanmi

No player can uplift this Argentina

Dissenter

Wenger eagle
“Dissenter with the usual knee jerk stuff.”

0/4 World Cup record
There’s no knee jerk, my friend…not after four failed attempts.

Victorious

WE

Come off it

Sanmi

Messi hasn’t been awful, he just has nothing to work with.

WengerEagle

Incredibly simplistic way of looking at it Dissenter.

France deserve the win and have looked good since Argentina were broken by the third but still fancy Brazil or even Belgium if they make it to beat them.

S Asoa

Your Comment Here
Griezmann is Barca bound apparently. Does not want to humiliate VIP boss Messi. Held back 2 sure goals already.
Looks like treachery to his country

Victorious

CR7 will be verbally slaughtered if he puts in such a shambles of a performance as Messi today..awful really

gonsterous

well hope this shuts up all the messi fan boys.. now watch how ronaldo takes responsibility tonight…

Receding hairline

Messi has had a nightmare of a World Cup. Totally wilted under the pressure. He hasn’t even completed a dribble all game.

Even the best have their form issues. This has been a thoroughly poor showing. Has nothing to do with his teammates

Sanmi

Dissenter

CR7 is shit too? Roberto baggio? Cryuff? Van basten? Giggs?

Because they did not win world cup?

gonsterous

but the messi fandom will claim Portugal is a more balanced team. excuses…

Sanmi

If u CR7 fan boys are that blind to see even a aguero is having zero impact. It’s the fucking set up.

Dissenter

Wenger eagle
You must know that I didn’t rate France…until now.
I thought this world cup was too soon for the young team they have but Mbappe is rising to the occasion.
They have a lot of tools on the Bech tinwork with.

France has to be back on the list of “possibles”.

gonsterous

how is macherano still on the pitch ??

Sanmi

Actually Portugal is more balanced. And plays to CR7 strength. If u are too blind to see that, then u av no football brain

Redtruth

WengerEagle

Hardly knee jerk, Messi has been shit in 4 World Cups.

Victorious

but the messi fandom will claim Portugal is a more balanced team. excuses…

lol, Messi is an overhyped and overblown Ozil.. the cock sucking is what grates me the most

Wallace

excellent response from France. Argentina so f*ckin dirty.

Dissenter

Sanmi
‘You’re getting me wrong.
Leo Messi is a genius and will always be one of. the best players that has played the game…period.
My point is that there has to be an asterisk on his record because he is a choker on the national team.
There has to be that foot note in small print that says her failed at two Copa America finals and four World Cup competitions.

Sanmi

I’m betting CR7 having zero impact today as Uruguay will be defensive and CR7 hates that

Victorious

Sanmi get some sleep…

gonsterous

sadly we’ll see grown men crying at the sound of the final whistle…

Dissenter

*he failed

Dream10

There’s life in this game yet if Argentina push for it

Sanmi

Dissenter

My point is that world cup record is a useless record. An error by your keeper and you are out. Till another 4 yrs

gonsterous

sanmi

messi scored the most during qualifying cause the team was built to support him. what a changed from then to now ? and how is that different to how Portugal set up ??

Sanmi

So you play 250+ games in 4 yrs, and I’m supposed to judge you on 4?

Nw9 gooner

Agree with WE demaria is so poor apart from the goal

TR7

Victorious

‘lol, Messi is an overhyped and overblown Ozil.. ‘

I understand you don’t like the guy but at least be reasonable in your criticism.

WengerEagle

M’Bappe has been excellent fair play to the kid.

Dissenter

It’s disheartening when grown people say that a 0/4 success in the World Cup is a “useless record”

What are you afraid of admitting ”
That Messi is not perfect and has some flaws on his record?

gonsterous

I agree that messi is a great player but what I take offense to is, why is ronaldo deemed to be any lesser than messi ? guy has been proving haters wrong since 2008

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