Well good morning, I’m suffering from WAKE UP EARLY issues at the minute, so I thought I’d bang out ANOTHER post for you because I am on a streak.
Arsenal has offered the role of technical director to Invincible, Eduardo César Daude Gaspar. I’d heard rumblings we were doing a deal, but my info was that the offer hadn’t been accepted yet, though the club were confident he’d do so.
So what to make of this hire… at the second attempt?
In short, it’s a real, ‘who the fuck knows’ moment.
His experience sits outside of the Premier League and outside of Europe. He’s currently the technical director of Brazil, and I’m not really sure what that entails. Their national team hasn’t exactly been a box of dreams over the past 5 years, and even if it had been, how do you affect a nation of players?
I’ll bang through some topline thoughts.
What experience does he have?
He’s 40 years old. He played up until he was 32 years old. He was then given a Director of Football role at Corinthians. He had a good run there, the club won the South American equivalent of the Champions League.
He had a stint as the Iranian assistant coach, who hasn’t, right?
He then took the role at Brazil in 2016. This is where some of his comments started to get me a little excited. As I pointed out in the post earlier this morning, I want someone to come to Arsenal that looks at the club from a holistic perspective, capturing the true essence of our being. First and foremost, they need to understand the culture, the heritage and the prestige. If you don’t understand the basics, you can never be a good long term fit.
This is what Edu had to say about taking on the role at Brazil.
‘Tite and I worried about the mentality,’
‘People were thinking about Brazil in a way we didn’t like. When people look at Brazil, they should respect us for our present and for our history. We were missing that. The team were not close enough to the people.
‘With all due respect, I don’t want to be the way English guys are. We are Brazilians. So let’s be Brazilians: friendly, laughing, talking. Some people cannot afford tickets for a game. So sometimes we open up training and let 50,000 people in for free.
‘Before, Brazilian players would not go into a hotel through the main doors. Why? Why do you want to go through the back door? People just want to see us. Now we go through the main doors.
‘A kid breaks through and wants to see his hero. Let him do that. As a player, I tried to be nice to people. Say “hello”, it’s not hard. We are bringing this back.’
Yes, yes and yes.
He is entitled. Brazil is an institution of football, that is how they should be respected and thought of. He’s thinking about the people of Brazil, their socio-economic situation and general perception. He is talking about exciting people, because at the core, that is what football is all about, right? He believes they should be at the top. All these folk that call Arsenal fans spoilt because ‘no one deserves to win trophies’ are not the types that drive things forward. Edu sounds like he understands that.
I hear that he’s an incredibly nice guy, I know that sometimes empathy can be seen as weak in football, but again, I think it’s an important trait. Especially if you’re looking at reengineering the focus around young players. Carlo, one of the great, was always accused of being too nice to his players. This is what Edu had to say on his experience of prime Wenger.
‘I was feeling sad. I lost my sister a week before I arrived. I was not in a good way. But I found a club and manager that worried about me as a person, rather than as a footballer.
‘Every day Arsene Wenger pulled me into his office. He wanted to check I was OK and check how my family were. He cared so much and it made me feel so good. He let my dad watch training. I come to London once a year and always go to see him.’
You might call the above snowflake millenial nonsense, but the reality is, the generation of kids coming through have different expectations. They demand more from the workplace and they expect to be treated well. You have to balance those needs, but someone with a human touch is important.
I also like the fact he’s fully aware of the talent in England and that he has ideas about unlocking it. This was 2017.
‘This is a big generation,’
‘But the Premier League is so rich. You have a fantastic young midfielder in Phil Foden at Manchester City but there are two or three fantastic ones in his position.”
‘So, how can you play? How can you develop these guys? You have good players but to get better, they need to play in the first team. Clubs don’t look to the Under 17 guy because they go to the market.’
Edu will have been in prime position to watch the best young kids from around the world. He’ll have met with the best coaches, seen setups from the major clubs, and had hands on experience with the biggest names to grace the yellow and green of Brazil.
Apparently, when he was at Corinthians, he did visiting tours of all the major European clubs to watch and hear how they did things. This is a guy that is hungry to lean into the experience of others, someone that is open enough to know he doesn’t have all the answers, with an Invincible attitude that means he’s a winner.
Are their worries about his hiring? For sure. He played under Unai Emery for a couple of seasons. That was over ten years ago, but he was operating under his management at Valencia. Will that cloud his judgement when he has to pull the trigger on his contract next year? Possibly. But I’d hope that he’s been around enough big decisions to not be influenced by matters like that.
There’s also the experience question. Going for explayers feels good, but is it always right? He’s being asked the run the operational side of the football at Arsenal. That requires a huge amount of skill and vision for someone that is basically only 8 years into working life. Risks are associated with that.
The big worry is that all his experience is based out of Brazil. However, that can also come as a blessing. Firstly, he knows England and Spain intimately because he spent a lot of time there. Also, something I’ve cried out for over the years is finding someone who can root out gems in markets that aren’t already saturated. We have an advantage here. It’ll be very interesting to see what sort of recruitment head he brings into the club.
Another concern is that the Copa America is in his home country. We literally don’t have a Technical Director until July 7th. That’s a long time to leave Unai and Raul at the wheel. A lot of bad pound notes can be spent in that time.
Everything is a risk, but ultimately, give me Edu over a hack like Monchi. He was yesterday’s man, Edu could be the future. He’s young, he seems of great temprement and hopefully he’s the sort of leader that wants to surround himself with the best people.
Also… how much sauce does the guy have?
Additionally, there can be no doubt whatsover as to the style of football he is going to enforce. He is Brazilian and he played under PEAK Wenger. Arsenal are going to have a clear vision when it comes to style and footballing philosophy.
I was a bit worried when I first heard this rumbling, but in the space of writing an article, I am now absolutely convinced this could be a very, very good move for Arsenal.
Fingers crossed he signs on and we can move on with the second reboot of Arsenal.
Nothing wrong with that tackle
I genuinely hope they have got it right with Edu. In fact, more to the point I hope he doesn’t get stepped over by Raul and is allowed to set the blueprint for what The Arsenal should look like for years to come. We need to be more than simply just a top 4 making team. The club execs better start realising that this pipe dream that AW sold Kroenke is no longer achievable like the walk in the park it used to be. A footballing identity is precisely what has have been lacking for the last 10-12 years. As… Read more »
Barca will go through, no doubt. One goal from Messi and that will be it.
Tr7
Better for football if they don’t
Mad what momentum can do, Barca couldn’t string a pass together for first 15 mins.
Early goal might just have fired up Barca to get serious.
You just know it will be Coutinho to sink in the knife if it happens.
No chance of Liverpool going through. Barcelona could have scored two or three goals in a matter of minutes there and that’s what you’re dealing with
Coutinho should have ended it there
Marko
Why do we have to rely on Barca for signing players. If we can sell Auba to any club willing to cough up good money, we can use the proceeds to sign players. Andre Gomes is not even a good player, I don’t know why people are assuming he will be a starting 11 player if signed.
Coutinho really does look a shadow of his Pool self though, pretty crazy how much he has struggled.
Lol, Andre Gomes.
We would be literally turning into a mid table club with these kind of signings.
Middy I’m not too worried about late start, admirable he’s committed to current cause. The ability to influence without necessarily being in room, send wish list of players and any thing else pertaining to the upcoming job is very possible and surely happening behind scenes. Some tell me Raul had zero say in Ozil’s deal as he was still not technically on staff yet had been hired. I find that thinking naive as it was a game changing contract for club, in direct area he was to undertake. Surely Edu can influence proceedings as it looks he already has with… Read more »
Some player that Robertson
What a find he was
Fabinho is going to batter Suarez at some point here.
Suarez is a cheating POS. Glad to see the Liverpool fans booing him.
WE
I know I am in the minority here but Coutinho was never half as good as he was made out to be. For a couple of seasons at Liverpool he was little more than a dead ball player. Only in his last season at Liverpool did he play really well and even then I had said he wasn’t even the best Liverpool player, let alone one among the best 5 players in the world as the media and many fans projected him to be.
I don’t know why people are assuming he will be a starting 11 player if signed.
Given the amount of starts Xhaka and Guendouzi get I’d assume Gomes would be a starter. He’s actually done quite well at Everton apparently Spurs are interested in him too. Amazing to think given the state of the squad and club in general that you’d have Arsenal fans talking about refusing to sell Lacazette and laughing off the idea of signing Gomes. It’s almost like they don’t realize how bad we are
That Robertson man. Great tracking back.
Origi looks quality too
Some lovely touches from him
Shaqiri playing like Shakira
Sal-
Yeah I hope they have him on speed dial if he Is really coming. Still not sure what his influence will mean though.. also. I will keep an open mind like always.
Marko
Everton is absolutely Gomes’ level.
He isn’t even in their top 3 players, never mind their best.
I liked the Inter Coutinho, loads of potential but something go lost in translation along the way.
Agree w/ TR7, always felt Barca went in too deep for him.
Two Barca players hit each other.
Sal it’s naive to think that a man not yet in the job could influence or be blamed for a decision like Ozil’s contract. Ivan the CEO and Arsene who still had an influence were behind that deal. To blame Raul or to suggest that he could somehow stop it from happening is not likely
Marko, bit of an extreme reaction if Paddy wrote it in his book.
TR7
He’s not an elite player but he was a top player for Liverpool, problem is he’s another one of these number 10’s playing in a sport that has moved on from that position, it’s like the sweeper position from years ago.
Isco and James are similar players to Coutinho, pure 10’s that aren’t as good wide because they lack pace but can’t play in the midfield 3 as they are defensive liabilities.
Happened to Ozil and Mata too before they hit their hard decline.
WE Spurs seem to like him. Weird that
Azed… that comment @15:21:37 was a killer punch, a knock out punch, and a 3 pointer all at the same time, Pedro never really answered that question you asked him…
it must be really funny, Mr know all (Pedro) couldn’t reply that.
Ozil contract was likely down to that useless slimy snake oil salesman Gazidis. Wenger was quoted as saying he strongly resented what Ozil was given.
‘Amazing to think given the state of the squad and club in general that you’d have Arsenal fans talking about refusing to sell Lacazette and laughing off the idea of signing Gomes. It’s almost like they don’t realize how bad we are’
No club moves forward by selling their best players and signing crap ones to replace them. Just because we have a few shit players doesn’t mean we should all clamour for more shit players.
Marko
Nobody’s blaming Raul, merely stating as always he was complicit in that contract and surely had to sign on looking forward. Zero chance for me he wasn’t brought into that loop.
You and I have hit this road hard and found no joy together debating it so lets not press on further that wasn’t pointed at you directly.
Marko, totally the opposite… it is incredibly naive to think he didn’t have a say in it.
If you’ve ever worked in a management job and moved… there is almost always crossover of paths, especially on a long notice period.
No chance the didn’t include him in conversations about Ozil. He was in the mixer on the Auba transfer.
Citeh signings Bruno Fernandes from Sporting Lisbon for 55 million.
Had him in my midfield shortlist last summer of players to snag on the relative cheap, he went and scored 28 goals to double his price tag this season the prick didn’t he.
for Ryan… I became an arsenal fan the moment gazidis announced him as arsenal next head coach…
I would really love to see what happens to le-grove when emery gets a 3yr extension
Do they Marko?
Good for them, let’s leave him to them.
Pedro in context of the book it just seems like one of those generalities that is said I don’t think it means much. The fact that he wanted out for a couple seasons and then got his move to Juve proves that he wanted to leave and not this ridiculous idea that Wenger kicked him out of the club. It’s weird how with regards to Ozil we can’t get rid of him unless he wants to leave we’ll be stuck with him but we were able to bin Vieira even though he wanted to stay forever and ever at Arsenal.… Read more »
Good enough for Spurs but not Arsenal am I right?
Vidal is still a baller.. half crippled and old.
Roma were only 1-0 up at HT last season.
You never know, Barca being super wasteful.
Marko, Paddy wanted to leave when he was hot property, wanted to stay when he was declining.
You can’t attack someone as untruthful for referencing an autobiography, that’s just you interjecting a subjective opinion as fact.
He’s not good enough for Spurs though.
He won’t start there.
Pedro
There’s a difference between being notified and being invited to contribute to decision making.
Gazidis understood the way power worked- he wouldn’t have given away anything he didn’t have to.
It was Gazidis, Sven and that contract guy they hired that negotiated the Jan 2018 deals.
That’s a solid post today Pedro and I share the enthusiasm. Edu is an Arsenal man , he remembers what we were and what others thought about us.
He was also someone who had to graft to get into that side, he didn’t have it easy.
I hope the club does commit to youth.
But we have to be ruthless too. Edu has to know who and what the rot is. He doesn’t get a season to assess things. Another year with this squad could be fatal.
If you were a Pool fan you couldn’t help but feel pretty much cursed. Gerrard slip a few years ago and now on course to end up runner up with 97 points and just one defeat in the league.
Thomas its up for Grabssssss
Nobody’s blaming Raul, merely stating as always he was complicit in that contract
You see this is why I speak up. How was he complicit in a decision taken by Ivan (his boss) and Wenger. It makes no sense. Not in the job and still had Ivan, Arsene and Sven to contend with regards to decisions on the squad. It just doesn’t seem logical
Dissenter, they were talking, it is absolutely beyond the pale that they wouldn’t have discussed the most expensive signing of all time.
They were discussing January transfers. They were discussing contracts.
Vidal is little more than a disruptor now, shame used to be a superb all around CM.
Liverpool by far the better teampver two
Legs thus far
Barca desperately lucky to be ahead. Without Messi they are average
TR7, the Guardian guys were saying that they think something might happen… because all those amazing last gasp winners will be worth nothing if they don’t.
So true… all that adrenaline wasted because you’re being beaten by a robot team.
If he’s not yet on the job, how can he be complicit?
So he was joining phone conferences about transfers before his formal start date.
Gazidis would have been sacked immediately had that being the case. His start day is when he signs all the human resources paperwork, right?
You can’t attack someone as untruthful for referencing an autobiography
First off not an attack. Secondly he was absolutely untruthful for saying that Arsene kicked Vieira out of the club. The whole argument is nonsensical anyone who supported Arsenal at the time now full well that Patrick much like Henry and Cesc wanted out they wanted to leave and we managed to keep them a little longer than they would have wanted. It’s the implication that Patrick Vieira was sold because we didn’t want him anymore which is horseshit honestly. He left because he wanted out. End of.
Shaqiri, Shakira
They loved Luis Suarez when he was a diving cu*t for them
Now they are moaning because he’s deploying those cheating skills against them?
He was sold because he was expensive and we had Cesc.
You attacked his person for dropping facts you don’t like.
Eagle-
He will still get forward.. and make runs into the box… but he has the knees of a 50yr old man. Chile used him and Sanchez up. Played a ridiculous amount of minutes for them over a 4 or 5 year period. Seeing the effects now.. and Chile has slipped as a world football power.
Barca should be out of sight here, Messi could have at least brace himself.
Screams of Liverpool nicking a goal around the hour mark and Barca collapsing under the immense pressure last 30 odd.
Vieira left at a time when he had a chance to go to another top club, his last big contract. Arsenal also got money for him at a time when we were financially weak and his powers were beginning to wane.
I would say the deal was mutually beneficial.
Pedro
I genuinely believed the game against Leicester was a potential banana skin for City. You know lady luck is not smiling at you when a center back of the rival team scores a screamer to bag 3 points for them. Amazing if Pool won the league, people would have adorned Klopp with all sort of epithets but a week later people will probably be mocking him for failing to win a thing in 4 years. Thin margins and all that !
I wish we’d kept some of the experience in the side… but I agree with Marko, he’d fucked us around every summer for years and it felt like a good time to exit. I was there for that penalty!
Kamp
‘Another year with this squad could be fatal.’
True. Hopefully edu is a good hire and hopefully arsenal make some significant investments in the summer.
Even if the club doesn’t, at the very least I expect a big clear out.
We won’t get top dollar for any of the current squad- maybe Laca but I’d rather keep him- but at least it will feel like a a genuinely new chapter at arsenal.
Nobody has told us quite what Sven did for us and why everyone was upset he left if all the signings are now referred to as Emery signings.
I can also see the ozil deal is being pushed on Raul..nice.
Raul was only in his job for a few months and how many of us tell our new boss they are dopey twats?
I feel if we had vieira on the field v Barca 06 we’d have held out the final 12 mins
He was the gladiator. He’d have willed it.
How shocking was that Iheanacho miss last night? 87 mins, fuck me Dippers must have shed tears.
4 goals for Iheanacho in 51 PL apps for Leicester, 1 this season.
And to think he was highly rated on here by a fair few…
jwl
I do but then I’ve had 45 jobs in 20 years!
You attacked his person for dropping facts you don’t like.
Steve Rowley isn’t back at Arsenal, Eboue doesn’t have AIDS and Arsene Wenger did not kick Patrick Vieira out of the club. None of those things are factual
Receding
The Ozil deal is 100% on Sanllehi. He went back in time and changed the offer we’d agreed from 200k per week to 350!
Unn
Subbing off Cesc when 1-0 up around the 70 min mark was turning point, we couldn’t keep the ball to save our life afterwards and we succumbed under relentless Barca pressure.
That and Almunia was beaten at his near post twice in comical fashion, possibly the player who pissed me off more than anyone else in an Arsenal shirt and there’s been more than a few shockers.
Spot on, Marc.
Raul was only in his job for a few months and how many of us tell our new boss they are dopey twats?
Not even. Ozil signed the deal in January (common sense says they were negotiating for weeks or months prior) and Raul joined in February. Ivan and Arsene are to blame. Just add it to the list of cock ups they had
They probably called Raul and said… we are going to sign Ozil to 350K per week can you work with that..? He said ok… and then when he got here he .. looked at the numbers and said… wtf? I though you said 35k a week.
WE
Henry missing two glorious chances didn’t help either
I still feel with paddy v on the field we increase our chances massively of holding onto that lead or at the very least limiting them to one goal.
Yes those two near post goals still break my heart every time I watch that game
Eagle
Kelechi couldn’t really score the goal to take the league away from City now could he? Probably got one of them mystery “forgotten bonuses” after the game for good measure.
Think for the peace of all mankind and humanity that it’s best Liverpool don’t win a thing this season
What’s up with Liverpool’s corners? Barca are weak in the air compared to Liverpool. Drop it into the danger zone man
Wenger Eagle
Re; Ihenacho
“And to think he was highly rated on here by a fair few…”
That was our man Bamford
That said, I really think he was unsporting last night. That miss looked deliberate
Wenger would have won at least one CL trophy and at least a couple of more PLs if he was a bit less sentimental about his players.
Plus Leicester get a bonus from City for Mahrez if City win the league
Unn
Yeah but TH14 was the main reason that we even got to the Final in the first place so you can forgive him for having a mare in front of goal in Final although I agree and was gutted and felt he let us down at the time.
Almunia was fucking shite and I wouldn’t have minded if that calamity was the end of it but he was promoted to being a starter for multiple seasons.
Who could forget Ronaldo scoring from about 40 yards on the gimp, went straight through him.
Wow… could have been goals on both ends.
Alison finally earning his price tag
Surely not Dissenter, he has a perfect track record.
Renato Sanches, Benteke, Iheanacho, Welbeck…
Told you lads, 2-0.
The game is on.
We
I still feel he let us down. No doubt.He puts us 2 up and Barca we’re not coming back
Yeeeees
Get in Liverpool
Fuck Barca
What did I say?? Facing down the kop
Barca are here for the taking now
Come on Liverpool
Wow…
Lol @ Barca
Just a year on from Roma surely not
Wow! Well in Liverpool.
All tie….
Barca so mentally soft away from home…
Oh my days!
Get in
Now just go to exact time. Away goal not count
Hahahahahahaha
Wooooo
Go on the English lads
Bottlenona
Now it’s game on… Fuck Pool .. though.. I really don’t want to hear about this for the next 30 fukin years.
WTF