I want to talk about exec leadership at Arsenal today because it’s absolute lunacy what’s going on at Arsenal at the moment.
I awoke yesterday to Kia trapping off on Talksport about upcoming changes in the structure at Arsenal football club. Totally egregious that a super-agent is airing Arsenal gossip on talk radio. Not just any super-agent, one that is at the centre of a scandalous transfer story for David Luiz, and one that is the agent of our technical director. Why is he talking?
Arsenal, repped by Bertie Mee, Herbert Chapman, Arsene Wenger and known as the Bank Of England club because of our class, has let the dogs in the back door and they’re running amok.
Think about this, two people seemingly driving the club at the moment have been involved in two of the most infamous transfer stories in history. The Tevez/Mascherano deal with West Ham and the Neymar transfer at Barca.
Is it any surprise that we’re in such a mess?
Raul, seemingly in lockstep with the fast fading great ‘Invincible’ hope Edu, is running the club into the ground.
Our last three January signings – Mari, Suarez, and Soares – boast one completed 90 minutes in the league. They’ve cost us £15m, enough to fund a top European 22-year-old for 3 years. Sure, it’s unfortunate that Mari suffered a bad injury, I feel for him, but the reality is he wasn’t playing yesterday if David Luiz had his head right. If you can’t displace a 33-year-old fading centre back when you are 26, it’s highly likely you are probably not the future of Arsenal football club.
The problem Arsenal has is there is no CEO. Dual leadership doesn’t even look good on paper, it’s a shit idea, always has been. You cannot share power. You need one person accountable. That’s just how humans work.
We need someone at the top of the tree who can get their head around the commercial aspects of our operation and the football parts. We need someone with the guts to scrutinise deals, challenge the data, and do the right thing for Arsenal. How many execs could survive our January signings alone? How could you rationalise the signing of Pepe for that huge fee, with a certain Jorge Mendes involved, buying from your mate (who was banned from French football for 3 months for allegedly breaking financial reporting regs) from a club that is run by someone who sees fees as the most profitable part of the game? How does he explain the run down contracts? How does Raul survive our position in the table? How has he moved Arsenal forward?
It is disgraceful that we are in such a mess 3 years after the so-called rebirth of Arsenal football club.
If Josh K doesn’t care about the club, he should care about looking like a fool, care of Edu and Raul.
If he doesn’t want to run Arsenal, he should invest in someone that can. Arsenal is a very wealthy organisation. Josh should go and find a CEO that understands sports or entertainment. Look into CEOs that have done positive things with limited funds. Speak to Hans-Joachim Watzke of Dortmund and find out what he needs to move to London. Go and speak to Ian Ayre who is in Nashville at the moment after a solid stint at Liverpool where he hired Jurgen Klopp. Speak to Beppe Marotta of Inter Milan (previously Juve). Do something creative. Rummage the NFL, the NBA, find anyone doing interesting things at prestigious sporting entities. Just don’t leave Arsenal to rot under rudderless leadership.
To make matters worse, Ivan Gazidis, who initiated all this, is now working off a Le Grove suggestion from 4 years ago. He’s hiring in Ralph Rangnick to bring power and pace to a slow league. Quite incredible he’s finally making a good decision while we’re still suffering from the most despicable power grab in European football history. No owner, no board, a patsy Technical Director, and super-agents so comfortable they are gossiping on the biggest sports radio station in the UK about our great club.
Nothing sums up our problems more succinctly than the David Luiz debacle.
1) Arteta had to drop a 33-year-old for a big game because Arsenal can’t afford his deal
2) Allowing him to derail a game because his head was gone
3) Having this problem after paying, according to The Athletic, £24m for his services. ONE YEAR.
4) Allowing a whole media cycle to be dedicated to whether Arsenal can seal a deal for him, because he’s important.
This one transfer is everything that is wrong with Arsenal under Raul. A lack of preparation, a lack of data, ‘contacts’ scouting, disgraceful fees, and absolutely shit output.
How can David Luiz be so important?
Ok, I’m being mean to Luiz. He’s not a bad player, even now. He’s been good under Arteta. However, his full body of work and the short term nature of his signature will always be judged as another bad piece of business. Edu should have signed someone young that could have grown with the club, instead, he did what was right for his agent, not what was right for us. I am pretty sure we were recommended Akanji last season, I saw him land a beautiful assist from deep for Dortmund a few days ago, he’s 24 years old and we could have signed him for about the same fee we nabbed Luiz for. Even if we couldn’t, are you telling me the best our scouting network could muster was someone in the Kia portfolio?
I also need to counter the ‘what about Martinelli’ argument. Of course, Raul and Edu will bring in some players outside their network, they can ‘t give all the deals to their ‘contacts’. The problem is just how bad the bad deals are. Emery, Pepe, Luiz, Suarez, Soares, Mari… not to mention heavy links to Willian, Kurzawa, Nuno and interviewing Perreira.
We need a prestige exec to come in and lay down the law with Raul and Edu. Ask them what drove certain signings, get into the weeds on what the fees were, understand why we are in such a mess, and ask for a clear plan for how they escape the doom. If the answers don’t suffice, move them the fuck on and start again with a clean slate. We have a good coach, now support him with the players and infrastructure he deserves.
Josh has to know that he’s being played like a fool. I cannot believe that he doesn’t have a single friend who is not giving him clear advice on just how bad the mess we’re in is. I’m also deeply hopeful that the Edu guff in The Athletic about how he goes about transfers was a reaction to the bad press. I also hope that Raul is going to pull the Luiz deal because it’s too hot for the club after the stories of last week.
Josh should speak to people at the club. People that have left the club. He should get into the details and see if his money is being spent wisely, then make a decision on whether he wants to be pushed around like the rich kid trying to buy friends in the school playground.
Something needs to change, my fear though, is there’s still some way to drop before actual meaningful action is taken.
Arsenal needs the accountability that comes with world-class leadership. The longer you leave hacks at the top of your organisation, the more expensive it becomes to dig your way out of the problem.
Time to act, Josh.
See you in the comments. x
P.S. Emergency podcast below.
Laca spending more time on the ground than on his feet. Always moaning.
Reminds me of how Stoke used to bully Arsenal.
This team is bereft of ideas and sadly is Arteta too.
Wretched horrible football it is like going back thirty years in time.
He’s a fucking idiot their no.8
He could do us a favour
Need more creativity
Pepe looks really rusty – I’d get Nelson and Martinelli on for him and Laca.
Bring on ozil
Hat trick time
Do Pepe and Lacazette … ah never mind …
Cmon Arteta make some subs.
What’s his beef with Martinelli?
I don’t think Pepe is playing for the manager.
Arteta has got to do something to change things up here.
why do our players never move to receive the ball, Wy are they acting like statues?
Arteta havnt improved anything about this team………fact.
Wonder whoever though signing Pepe ahead of Zaha was a good idea.
Pepe needs to go for goal in the box go down and get a pen
Un
Auba’s not on a booking.
This irish Connolly lad is going to hurt us..I can see it coming!
Games begging for Ozil and Martinelli..zero creativity…yawn!!
come on just a run from the deep for once
oh forgot it’s Ceballos and Guen so middle is no threat at all
Against the mighty brighton
We’re shit. Needed subs a while ago.
Why isn’t Martinelli on yet
Auba getting shots needs to bury one
Ozil or Martinelli on for Lacazette maybe?
Finally.
Great play between Auba and Laca.
Corner.
Our delivery has been good … need a finish
Good attacking play for a change.
This is woeful
We get a late winner I think
wait for the magical 70th min sub la
Said it before..Martinez ist he best weve got at coming out for crosses..leno never does that
Auba laca saka pepe vs Brighton and we still need more creativity? More help in attack. Mr Arteta can’t coach Auba, laca, Pepe and saka how to fashion scoring chances. Are you guys serious!??? Against Brighton??
Look the problem in the team is the midfield. It’s been the midfield for years. They don’t contribute. They don’t score enough or break down attacks enough. They’ve been taught Wengerball.
With the ball: Get it, give it, get it, give it.
Without the ball: drop back, back off, don’t commit, don’t challenge.
This is our midfield in a nutshell
Pepeeeeeeeee
This is why there is a player in pepe
Pepe
Pepeeeee
Pepe is earning his pay!!!
Brighton look more likely to score tbh
Pepe!!
Beauty from Pepe.
That’ll do it surely
Whoa
Whoa
That Pepe’s fucking shit.
Pepe.. time! Goal!
Thats what a player palying in the right position can do…Go Pepe!!
of course Arteta need to be rescued by such goal
cut inside
top corner
simple as
who needs tic tac
Boom
Keep doing that sun is in the eyes of keeper
That’s a 72 M goal right there!
Get the fuck innnn!
That’s why we paid that Michu
It’s played like Pepe that will help Arteta keep his job
What a strike
No shit, Pepe starts and scores , next match he gets benched also
I’ll add my two bobs worth here.Once I knew that c** t Atkinson was reffing I knew we were up against it.Hes let Brighton get away with Murder here.The Arsenal hating Bstard.Only two bookings so far for them a pisstake.If we come out of this with 3 points Ill be v.surprised.Im sure he’ll do his very best to prevent that happening Trust me.
Mics
Got to love the timing of your comment
We need to remove one of Guendo or Ceballos.
Need legs in the middle.
I called Pepe to score today.
The clown will bench him the next game
Still no subs from Arteta.
This is mad!
Fredo
Yeah but who would you bring on?
Feel for Leno. Yet another terrible Arsenal injury. I’d love to know the stats on season ending injuries for arsenal over the last 10 seasons. We must be up there in having the most.
Ozil can go back to his siesta
He’s not needed to close out a game
Idiots on here saying blacks live matter when we score… incredible
Guen is having a very good game. He looks much better against a weaker team.
Nice finish from Pepe there! Get in there … up until that point another very frustrating performance from Arsenal
Martinelli for Lacazette Marc
press them while also having counter attacking threat through his pace.
Lovely goal by Pepe , keeper no chance.
Rescued a pretty ordinary performance and woeful game in general
Blessing in disguise..Martinez is a more rounded keeper than Leno…comes out for crosses as well as a shot stopper
WTF is Arteta waiting for, an equalizer before he makes subs?
Our midfield is shot.
Stupid goal ffs
“WTF is Arteta waiting for, an equalizer before he makes subs?
Our midfield is shot.”
well the wait is over, he can sub now
Is Arteta awake at all?
He has unused subs, this s our second hame in three days.
Why no subs
Like I said 1-1.
Arteta is a c..t!
These guys are gassed.
The halo Pedro placed on Arteta’s head is gone
Goddamn it. I hate it.
Arteta’s game management is really suspect.
Set piece fuck up. same old probs.
Great Pepe goal but he will have to score a lot more of them to justify his exorbitant 80 million fee from what has been a very inept performance
from him and the team.
All lives matter.?
Held on to that lead for 7 whole mins
The cover was shit for the player coming in crossing the ball.
Not good enough.
Why no gabby
I’m actually surprised that Atkinson hasn’t sent Laca off there.
We allowed them into the game after scoring kept dropping deeper and deeper hoping to defend their crosses, one time they decide to go low we are confused
Tierney and nkiteah at 1-1 LOLLLL
I actually blame arteta. We’ve looked tired for a while. . Subs were needed but nothing coming.
Saka deflected the ball backward and Holding is too slow to clear it.
Nketiah fine. Tierney??
Lacazette looks like his ready for his pipe.?
Still no Martinelli?
Ya know what, I hope the dude asks for a move… fcuk this.
the fuck Arteta thinking?
Why Tierney
You have to give our team A+ for consistency. concede a goal within 120secs of scoring one. been doing that for 10 years now
Emery sidekick Arteta at least now circumstances showing byou Laca was needed to be out
Free Martinelli.
Arteta has problems man. He hasn’t looked good in my eyes over all during his stint.
Marc
Laca got to the ball first and sliding tacked aren’t illegal.
A left back is supposed to change the game for us? Fuck me.
Arteta really needs to get bolder with his subs, both in selection and timing.
So remind me again how Arteta has improved us please, answers on a postcard
Ceballos is the embodiment of what’s wrong with our midfield. No penetration, can’t run, and thinks going to ground to get a foul is his job well done.
Remember the rim job he was given after Burnley on here? Absolute jokes. Must pinch himself that he’s at Real Madrid, con man.
Dissenter
I know but that’s never stopped refs before.
No presence in the midfield.
Late winner comes
What?
This ref is a bloody cheat.
That was a clear pk for Arsenal.
This is embarrassing