Just a quick post today, I’m at a work offsite, we’re about to hit drinks. I’m about to give my boss a full piece of my mind.
‘Boss, I think you’re amazing’
What, too strong?
Someone who has been giving it a bit of the brown-nose-gegenpress in the media is Dani Ceballos. Look, I’ll take the praise quotes from people that have been in the trenches, but come on, he’s been here on loan 2 mins, he just tried to go home because he doesn’t like it, and had his wrists slapped.
“Mikel will be a brilliant coach. He has learned from Pep (Guardiola), he has a philosophy of play which I think I fit perfectly,”
“It’s true he arrived in a difficult situation of the club, but mentally he’s exactly the kind of coach Arsenal need right now.
“I’ve been working with him for around two weeks and now I have to show him I’m good enough to play for Arsenal. After the winter break I will be important.”
Amazing carry-on. Not as amazing as my boss’s carry-on luggage, no way.
Overall though, I don’t really care whether people are kissing up to the new regime. Point is, after 7 gruelling weeks, some very tough results, and not a huge amount of points… they’re all still happy. Sylvinho, a similar coach that came from nowhere was binned off by Lyon after 7 games. Gary Neville was fired after 14 games. Coaches new to the game can have very horrible starts, so in today’s low-barrier positivity, I’m celebrating that Arteta is not like Gary Neville (yet).
Matteo G looks like he’s in line for a bumper pay hike this summer. The Frenchman, who has had some mixed reviews from some folk I know in the canteen at Arsenal, seems to have won the new staff over with some solid performances, and clearly, some dedication in training. Football.London report that he’s currently on £40k a week, which makes me feel better about Huss FAHMY, because Guen was rumoured to have picked up £70k p/w when he signed his last deal. Which seemed kinda rich for a club pleading poverty. I find it curious that we’re leaking to the press that we’ll offer him a deal in the summer… odd.
Still, I have massive hopes for the player dubbed the 2nd most valuable teenager last May. I think he’s learning the game again, he’s picking up more tactical discipline, and he’s being held to a much higher level of accountability. He’s still very inconsistent, but people have to remember, he’s a kid and he has the ability already to boss games. He’ll only get better, if we’re keeping him, maybe he’s our first £100m sale at some point? One can dream.
Finally, we’ve been linked with Papa Gueye. The midfielder plays for Le Harve, who play Ligue 2 football, so take the talent with a pinch of salt. My interest here is more the profile of the player we’re looking at. This kid is a defensive midfielder, he’s tall, powerful, fast, has a range of passing both short, long, and creative… he also controls the ball like Patrick Vieira used to. He hooks the ball out of the air, nips in with his telescopic legs and he can juggle the ball over people to beat a press.
SIGN HIM.
This post was rushed, so deal with the typos.
I’m off the hang with my boss.
Boom
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Rumours are that Soumare wants to go to Liverpool or Utd.
News about Upamecano has slowed to a trickle, with the last leads pointing to Bayern Munich.
Any gossip on either of these, Pedro?
Or Sangare, Partey or ………… Joey Barton?
Can the draws stop already? Please!
El Matteo deserves it.
Great find.
Go get more
Ceballos gained some of my respect. Ceballos:” the fact of returning from an injury and helping the team to achieve its objectives will leave a better feeling than if I had made the cowardly decision to leave.” Good Luck to him!
“I really think my new boss Micheal Arty perfectly reflects and embodies the philosophy and ethos of the firm, unlike my old boss Andy Amery, who didn’t have a clue and just had a long but very flukey run of successful ad campaigns. Andy was really floundering at the end and the firm was in total disarray. Nobody understood a word he said most f the time and his ideas were crap. Michael has a clear vision, not to mention perfect hair…he’s even got the old duffers like Grant Huckster and Mehmet Aziz working hard and buying into the new… Read more »
WOAB 😂
When did Emery get fired?
What date was Arteta hired?
During that period. How many of you were championing Arteta?
If Arteta was who the club wanted why did it take so long to appointment him?
Why did the men in charge have to sneak over his house at night to have secret meetings?
If everybody is so sure about him now, why wasn’t you sure before?
Lose against Newcastle and this whole thing falls apart.
Ffs
Stop the emery shit already…
Th3 cats gone…
@realitycheck, more like misery check. I dont think anyone expects him to be the new messiah but in a short term he has gone a long way to sorting this Shithouse out. There is a plan and we have some fight, I am much happier giving him a team than Emery
Sell guen if a stupid offer like 70mn comes in.
There are a lot of newcomers banging the Mrs Emery (Bamford) drum.
I wonder why.
“Lose against Newcastle and this whole thing falls apart.”
Are you for real?
The job at hand is not a quick turn-over, it’s a 15-round slug-fest
Next 5 games are all very winnable , Will settle for 12 points . Time to start putting points in the bag.
ThomasFebruary 12, 2020 13:45:49
A place like Dubai can never ever be ‘cool’ or ‘amazing’. Funny how few people actually see through the facade.
This!
Oops, sorry. Already moved on from that chatter. Happy day people. Seeya
Le Harve lol
Dubai can never be cool or amazing? Half the world was built off the back of slavery and abuses throughout history. It’s patently wrong but doesn’t make the place itself any less cool, in much the same way it’s surely wrong to think practically any place in the world is cool. The great british cities were developed off the blood of the empire. America land of the free was built off the systematic removal and abuse of the natives. China’s issues today are well known. The ancient Egyptians used slaves, the romans had slaves. It’s never been right but all… Read more »
The colosseum is time isn’t cool either because it was probably built by slaves and where slaves and wild animals were sent to their brutal deaths for the entertainment of the masses?
It was wrong as hell, but if you’re in Rome go check out the colosseum… it’s awesome…
Descedants of the Good masters think Astapor is cool.
You heard it here 1st!
Pedro Weren’t you saying Matteo should be sold for 50 mil+ come summer? What changed? He was never going to be sold considering he is 20 and the balls he has shown. I think he can be like Rabiot or the latter stages of toni kroos type of midfielder. Matteo’s best work comes when he is deep in our half. Arteta needs to get him to do what he does high up the pitch. He should be Impacting games Up the pitch like a modern CM. Sometimes he gets confused about what to do in advanced positions and he loses… Read more »
China1
Lived near Bristol, in a town called Thornbury, as a kid from 1970-1980. Great city.
Bristol Rovers and Bristol City are always scores I look for each week.
You right though, Bristol is a “cool” place.
Habesha,
I don’t think that Pedro said that Matteo should be sold. My recollection is that if we are skint and we need to sell to redevelop the team, then we have a saleable asset worth £50millions.
If Ceballos is as good as his word, we should all rejoice.
When he came on the other week against Bournmouth in the Cup, he looked focused.
Fingers crossed.
You’re
Saka is ONLY on £3,000 a week!
That’s only £156k a year!
At 18 years of age what were you all on.
I’d just started college after doing my ‘A’ levels and was driving around in a clapped out VW Beetle.
I had a PT job selling security systems that no one wanted.
I was on a retainer of £50 a week!
At least the scouting department seems to have woken up that the best deals to be made are to buy cheap young talented hungry players. They may be unproven at the highest level but if they have the talent then the risk is limited. Most of those will play in second tier of the French and German leagues or in the top for unfashionable club. For those kind of players the agent contact approach will not work, because most of the time their agents is a relative or family friend. You just need a good scouting network and a good… Read more »
That was 40 years ago though.
Graham62,
At 18 years, I was at university. During that summer, after a row with my stepdad, I travelled all over Europe using the £150 monthly interrail pass. Got some work as waiter and cook.
As there was no mobile phone, a week after I left I send a postcard from Amsterdam. I thought that the picture was funny, it was How tough it was to be in Amsterdam. Unfortunately my mom took it as a suicide note. So when I came back, she had been worried sick for two months. My stepdad never been so happy to see me.
I’ve had a little look at smith rowe on loan at Huddersfield, and I have to say he’s looking good . He’s playing the no.10 role and playing it very well. He has all the right ingredients to make an excellent CAM , He finds the pockets of space and has very good awareness of his team mates. Technically good, has pace and at times looks explosive on the ball when he receives the ball in the right areas . Huddersfield have a 22 year old lad who plays in midfield called Jorginho Bacuna who is very good but quite… Read more »
Why oh why did we not go for ziyech? And for the money it is a no brainer. As much as I want Reiss Nelson to succeed, it would take a monumental level of improvement in his game to become a top level player, which ziyech is already,ozil past it and to think overmars had recommended him to us .Raul and co had better know what they’re doing.
I’m all for Guedenzi getting a deal but only if it means we can then sell him immediately and cash in. My conclusion after seeing him for two seasons is: he’s a fit but not as good, Diaby.
Sell him for £30m and fund a better prospect.
A little surprising that Saka hasn’t already been tied down to a long term contract.
Apparently his current contract is up in a little over a year.
It was obvious 1/2 years ago that he has the necessary quality to succeed at the club so why risk losing him.
I can only think that a verbal agreement must be in place and it will be a formality.
Genduzi dont score goals, he dont make any goals and he sure dont stop them.
He duped me,- I thought he was good initially. He ain’t
(That rugby tackle on Zaha was when it changed)
Too slow , turgid and dozy.
A liability with the shirt pulling etc.
Sell him for £50 million.
Are you bonkers?
What club will do that?
GOH
You’re right , Guendouzi is not up to the level of Diaby.
He is a decent player but it’s difficult to see a part of his game where he excels.
Tackling, heading, shooting, dribbling, explosive pace, protecting the ball, final ball are all parts of his game that could improve. ..
He may ultimately end up being a defensive midfielder unless he matures into a creative force ( which I doubt).
If a big enough offer comes in then we may sell though personally I would rather keep him..
Pierre
It’s a sell from me. He’s just not improving at all. In fact, he peaked in his very early days and I think a pay raise will make him worse.
If we can get £30m for him. We need to take it
I have never been to Dubai and I imagine it’s quite different to Abu Dhabi but I wasn’t impressed with the latter when I visited there a couple of years ago. Nice buildings yes but the whole place just felt soul-less . Like a giant honey-pot in the middle of nowhere. The beaches weren’t even that nice either.
(I feel the same way about Vegas at least you can drive to Los Angeles which is quite a nice drive).
Said it ages ago , Guendouzi is dopey Labrador who runs around chasing his own tail half the time. He took a half-decent shot against Bournemouth that went over the bar and he looked at the bench almost giggling, as if he did something beyond his ability level or something.
Worryingly low bar set for him. Same for all our midfielders, which led to so many overrating our midfield options at the start of the season.
Phillips Coutinho rules out a return to Liverpool.?
And states he is on another journey.
With our Brazilian connection let’s hope he is on his
way here.
He could be the key to unlock things that’s been missing.
Joey Barton in trouble yet again.
Charged with misconduct for foul language directed towards official.
Such a decent bloke.
“I find it curious that we’re leaking to the press that we’ll offer him a deal in the summer… odd.”
Not really it means another or other clubs are sniffing round him and we either want to drive his price up or scare them off as we want to keep him.
Those of you from Bristol. How come ladies mammaries are named after your town?. Please explain.
Guendouzi is only a smidgen above average. Certainly not someone we should be building our midfield in the future around. If we get anything over 30m. I say sell.
With our struggling form, why would you want to leave Arsenal – if you were one of our youth academy prospects. There is an almost light at the end of the tunnel that, if they’re good enough they’ll get a chance to play games at a big club. We’re at a point we’re it suits the club for investment and potential sell for profit without buying, shall they improve loads or albeit slightly. Saka will be a big player for us. 18 years of age and out of position, getting on with his job. IMO, we haven’t gone in for… Read more »
Goal scoring midfielder are so hard to come by these days.
Guen needs to add this to his game.
Charged with misconduct for foul language directed towards official.
https://www.skysports.com/football/news/25706/11932037/joey-barton-fleetwood-manager-brands-officiating-a-disgrace-after-sending-off
Think he avoided getting charged according to this article. Not a Barton fan myself but I don’t think he said alot wrong lol
Arsenal’s priorities this summer are review of contracts of Martinelli, Saka and Guendouzi. They need to reflect their value to club, but more importantly prevent vultures of Man Utd, Man City, Liverpool and Chelsea getting their hands on them. The rumour on Saka published in Star smells like an attempt by Agents to negotiate a new contract. This agency represents 4 Arsenal players plus hot property Sancho who is also looking for move in Summer. My view on transfer business for summer is more modest than many other posters on Le Grove. The two priorities for me which will cost… Read more »
Graham, so Long as he’s not trying to blind a young lad, we should be thankful.
Stroller, you make a good point.
We don’t have City resources available and have had a lopsided squad for years now. We have to go to market with our priorities and not be distracted by agents flaunting their tainted stars.
This squad is not going to be world beaters overnight.
The only caveat is that some of our biggest value players are coming to the end of contracts or have one foot out of the door, so we may have to pivot as required.
Clubs must love Man U. They overpay for players then either scapegoat them or make them shit.
ES
The 4 2 3 1 formation is outdated. I prefer to sign two box to box CM’s franking Torr, who will be the lone DM.
The formation will be 4 3 3. It will be more balanced. In this way, we’ll say good bye to Xhaka and Ozil.
I think Guen is Arsenal’s third most valuable teenager at the moment, so no way is he second most valuable across europe.
But…But Guen said that he is the best player on the team.
Graham
Micheal Jackson was a mega star and Mark Zuckerburg was on his way to starting Facebook at the age of 19 years old. Mbappe was leading France to a World Cup win at the time too
Neither you nor myself had anywhere near the talent of Saka. Stop the moaning.
jwl
Sancho and Haaland are both teens so, Guen is definitely not 2nd most valuable in europe
I wouldn’t even put Guen in the top-20 of best teen players. It’s not like he’s playing for some hotshot team in the CL. He’s stinking out a mid table club at the moment.
He did look like he was destined for the very top, now I’m not so sure. Maybe Arteta can help him.
Dissenter
I’m aware of all that.
Anyway, who’s moaning?
Stroller I have a feeling that a lot of the answers may be coming from within. Positions that we may need to strengthen from outside sources are CB, DM and I have my doubts about the keeper as he doesnt command his area. Saka, Martinelli, Smith Rowe, Nelson,Nketiah , Guendouzi , willock are all ready to play first team football . Balogun, Azeez, john jules are getting closer. Add AMN, Tierney, saliba , holding , chambers and Bellerin and you have a team of mainly academy graduates. Some will make it , some won’t, but at the very least we… Read more »
So much negativity directed at Guendouzi on here today.
Where the hell have you lot been the past two seasons?
This lad has been one of the few positives in our team during this period, trying his utmost to push us forward, whilst so called senior and experienced players have been shying away from taking responsibility.
He is still, imo, very much a rough diamond and given the right coaching/mentoring, I’m convinced he still has a great deal to offer.
Over to you Mr Arteta.
Dissenter
“He’s stinking out a mid table club at the moment”
A couple of months in mid table, after 20 years in and around the top, does not make us a mid table club.
Similar to a club sitting at the top of the league for a short period , after spending 20 years in mid table , does not make them a title winning club.
G62. Most of us agree that Guen is a prospect. He just isnt supposed to be a 1st teamer on a really good Arsenal team. He is not a patch on a 19 year old Vieira or even Diaby. All it shows is the level to which this current team has dropped with Guendouzi and Xhaka as its mainstays in the midfield.
I hold little hope that a formerly lacklustre midfielder like Arteta can show him how to play the position. Stranger things have happened , so lets be optimistic.
Global
I’m not from Bristol, but always thought it was Bristol Cities… tities…
Great signing for Chelsea
https://www.skysports.com/football/news/12691/11933042/hakim-ziyech-chelsea-to-sign-ajax-winger-in-33-3m-deal-at-end-of-season
Thomas/Steve will be chuffed.
Leftside,
“Thomas/Steve will be chuffed.”
Nothing will ever make Thomas happy. Not world peace, not dating a supermodel, not winning £20m in the lottery, nothing.
He is congenitally miserable.
Global gunner lived in Bristol 23 years and never heard that!
Ah graham I used to play football games out there every few months as a kid
Bristol is cool imo. It’s very quirky and presumably the only place in the UK which has cider boats lol.
Stokes Croft is really good as well. I like Bristol’s counter culture. Banksy, massive attack, you know the sort. Very Bristol
Tits I found Abu Dhabi did seem very soulless when I took a day trip there I totally agree. Dubai was vastly cooler imo
Bristols is Cockney rhymning slang – Bristol Cities = Tities. Very common usage in London.
Stroller, I believe that we need at a minimum 3 players: a left sided CB, a defensive midfielder and a goalkeeper. I like Upamecano, I am just not convinced that he would be a good combination with Saliba. To me we need a CB for the left side who can both play a high line and be aggressive but also who can pass. Saliba can pass and step into midfield, the other CB just need to be able to make those long vertical pass. Unfortunately that’s not Upamecano’s game. In my view he may be too similar to Saliba. At… Read more »
Soumare has one good performance against a slow and weak Chelsea midfield and now he’s worth £50m?
I agree Valentin, I think 50 million or however much it would be on Upemacano would be wiser invested elsewhere, ie the midfield.
It’s always been cockney slang Bristol city= tities.i.e a right pair of Bristols.
Interesitng piece in The Guardian about Reiss Nelson. Worth a read.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/feb/13/reiss-nelson-arsenal-jadon-sancho-whos-better-mikel-arteta
Cccccooooorrrrrrr, look at the Bristols on that!
Not very PC? Tough titties!
That’s just utter bollocks, comparing Reiss Nelson with Jadon Sancho
Seems Reiss Nelson’s agent has been busy handing out brown envelopes to journos.
“The colosseum is time isn’t cool either because it was probably built by slaves and where slaves and wild animals were sent to their brutal deaths for the entertainment of the masses?“ —————- China, The main difference being of course that half the world’s architectural landmarks you might be speaking of weren’t built in the last two decades. One would hope that the human consciousness has evolved since the age pyramids or the colosseum. Next time you are staying in one of those cool Dubai hotels, ask the Bangladeshi who brought you your breakfast if he keeps his passport. There’s… Read more »
I hope Arteta does not share that excessive-loyalty trait that bedeviled Wenger.
He wants to coach everyone into world class and may persists with players who aren’t good enough to the detriment of the team.
Telling Reiss Nelson that he is going to make him into a top player is commendable but how long will he persist with that project [or others like him] before he calls it in?
So some of us have already put Reiss Nelson in the not good enough for Arsenal 2020 bracket?
I think he’s shown more technical ability than Theo and the Ox at the same age, he just needs to get a bit more professional off the pitch and pay attention to Arteta on it and we’ll have a real asset on our hands.
The speed of theo beats any technical advantage nelson might have, ox beats nelson in speed, power, technical ability.
Nelson slightly above Iwobi
Happy for Dozi and Saka to get nice new deals.
I’d spend 50 million on Upamecano today. Rather meet the clause than go into the summer bidding against Barca and Bayern or whoever is more “prestige” at the moment. I watched him against Bayern over the weekend and hes just what we need, still a bit rough around the edges but he’s got all the tools to be a difference maker.
Usain Bolt is faster than Nelson, that doesn’t make him a better footballer.
Wow Sid, slightly above Iwobi, that’s a little harsh for me.
Theo and Ox yes for sure better athletes as you’ve said but Nelson is the better footballer at this stage of his career and we’ve got the right coach for a young technical winger to improve on this.
Sid,
“Nelson slightly above Iwobi”
Can’t be the Iwobi that Arsenal sold to Everton. Nelson is not yet on Iwobi level. I don’t get all the hype with some of these youngsters at Arsenal. What is Nelson good at? Nelson at the moment is just a D grade Jermaine Pennant. The only youngsters at Arsenal who should be making the bench on match days are Saka, GM and MG. The others shouldn’t be anywhere near the match day squad.
Gunner – Nelson’s Arsenal career is a few months of Emery and now a few months of Arteta, granted during his time on loan in germany he kinda fizzled out but that was more to do with a lack of professionalism/time keeping than his technical ability being limited. Lets let him have a couple seasons under Arteta before we throw him away yeah? Its far too soon for anyone to make a comprehensive decision on his ability as a footballer. We persevered with Iwobi far longer than we should have, and that’s not me saying Iwobi’s shit just that you… Read more »
Pierre I think that Arsenal’s long term strategy is “home grown” talent + sourcing players from elsewhere to fill in holes in team/squad. We know already that Arsenal have failed to develop in recent years defenders particularly CBs. So on current evidence those are players that the club needs to source from elsewhere and not necessarily from fashionable clubs. I don’t agree with those who suggest that we don’t need an AMF preferring high energy box to box players. At the end of the day we need players in midfield with a bit of craft who can unlock both midfield… Read more »
Guess we’re not hijacking the ziyech deal…
Emirates
What if we miss out on a EL place which looks quite likely at the moment – you don’t think that will affect our budget?
Emiratesstroller talking bullshit once again
We need a £300m cash injection to solve this problem….
I feel that a budget of £100 – £120 million is very optimistic. Obviously the gross spend will depend on how many we raise through player sales, but I suspect the net outlay will be half that sum.
I also suspect our future lies in developing youngsters, espeically home-grown talent. This will be particularly noticeable after Brexit because the quota of home grown players in the first team squad will inevitably rise and were are obliged to sell foreign-born players.
After catching the time to watch thus clip Pedro linked in, my mouth is still open as I type. If he’s anything close to that video. Sign him up ASAP
ask the Bangladeshi who brought you your breakfast if he keeps his passport.
As a “bangladeshi” I find this a tad bit racist
And we were smoking Dele Alli?
Zarchase, and we shouldn’t.
If guendozi is already on 40K per week (as per Pedro), it means he’s already signed another deal after he arrived here. what’s the point of giving him a new one with a raise? He certainly doesn’t deserve 2 raises in 2 season. My guess is he will sign a deal in the summer that will take him to 40k. Generous if you ask me.
” but I suspect the net outlay will be half that sum. ”
I’m not sure we’ll have that much to spend unless we get into the CL.
AhmeducrazyFebruary 13, 2020 16:59:30
ask the Bangladeshi who brought you your breakfast if he keeps his passport.As a “bangladeshi” I find this a tad bit racist
Care to explain why ?
Genuinely curious.
not too concerned with guendouzi’s deal…
but if raul /edu let liverpool or manure stink let alone steal saka they might as well commit suicide
how the hell could saka in last 18 mo of his contract as media leaks¿¿??
hopefully just bs
whats really wrong with this club?? …a rich legacy/ habit of losing gems and donating bosman, yet stuffed with writeoffs without buyers!
the untold arsenal values
Why shouldnt we sign ziyech? Absurd, guy can play through the middle and on the wing, like ozil is supposed to be able to do
Theo Walcott, between the ages of 16-20, was head and shoulders a better player than Nelson.
Nelson may possess more skill but his general dynamism and directness falls well short.
We all know why Walcott never fully developed. If Arteta is as good as some say he is, Nelson may develop into a more complete player.
Fingers crossed.
Tom
Thre assumption is that the Bangladeshi migrant worker working the restaurant is being exploited which not true.
Economic migrants typically start at the bottom of the social ladder. That migrant worker may actually want to be there serving drinks to make money to send back him to his family.