Don Raul and his sidekick, Edu, have been given a ‘this is fucked up’ dressing down by Nick Ames in The Guardian who pulls together a list of sources to pour concerns over the way we’re operating. It’s not a pretty read and the opinions he’s pulled together come from a wide variety of people in and around the club.
It’s good to know that leakers are sounding the alarm. You know why they are talking? Because what we are doing doesn’t make any sense whatsoever. After focusing on the obvious WTF moves of the last week, Nick lasers in here with some new information.
Transfers of that nature would, while entirely legitimate, have been anathema under Arsène Wenger. He generally shied away from deals with bigger-name agents and had little time for heavy investments in older players. But Joorabchian’s hand has been evident in a clutch of moves involving Arsenal in the past year, the first being a move that was completed on 8 August, a month after Edu, a former player, returned to Arsenal. The Football Association’s list of intermediary transactions, released this week, shows Sports Invest UK represented Arsenal in Alex Iwobi’s £35m move to Everton.
Iwobi’s and Everton’s side of the deal was, according to the list, overseen separately by the agency that represents the player. It is not unusual for different parties to work on the different ends of a transfer, even more so when involving moves from abroad, and there is no suggestion of any wrongdoing. Some experienced industry figures simply point out that given Arsenal and Everton are familiar rivals and worked together 18 months previously when Theo Walcott made the same move it appears a convoluted way to have done business.
The world of super-agents is not simple to follow, it’s not easy to unpick, and all of that is by design. It’s a little bit of Wall Street in the world of football. You create products and services that skirt close the boundaries and swim in the world of grey. The losers? The fans. Always the fans. Agents take money out of the game, which was fine when the fees were in line with the value they were bringing, but now you’re in a situation where the whole system is out of kilter with reality.
Agents of any sort should be a byproduct of scouting players the right way. What they absolutely can never be is an extension of your club. They should not be the Technical Director or the talent scout. They should not have so much influence they can push a shit manager into the club that cannot speak the local language.
Since then, the suggestion is that Arsenal have surrendered a coherent approach to player-spotting and handed too much power to the contacts books of Edu and the head of football, Raúl Sanllehi. Some members of staff are believed to feel frozen out and there is particular angst that Arsenal, who also conducted a revamp of their academy staff in November, may be losing ground in any chase for the best young players. One former employee claims the club’s approach no longer fitted their values and the high-performance culture fostered under Wenger has been allowed to ebb away.
The notion that Wenger was operating anywhere near a high-performance culture at the end is laughable, but what you could never deny with him is that every move he made was generally with the best interest of the club at heart, even if it was wrong. Can you honestly say that about Arsenal now looking at the way we’re operating?
This sort of pressure from the MSM is just the start. It is now a theme that we make ‘eyebrow-raising’ deals. Keep an eye on it. No one cares about the details when Messi is carrying you to the big trophies while you’re trying to bring in Jean-Michel Seri, but this is Arsenal, and all super-agents have offered Arsenal so far is a further crash in standards. How long until Stan pays attention to the mess his son is at the centre of?
We have an FA Cup game tomorrow against the SUPERB Sheffield United. Chris Wilder’s men have been absolutely excellent all season. They play with great intensity, they offer up a very direct game of football, and they are not to be trifled with. Make no mistake, if we don’t show up tomorrow, it’ll be a very sad journey back home.
The press conference didn’t give a lot away in terms of the game. Arteta seemed to make some cryptic points about Liverpool’s success.
“Well yes because they were in a very difficult position four years ago and they made a lot of right decisions. Some difficult decisions, some unpopular decisions but the right decisions for them. They have been very consistent with their messages, very clear messages from top to bottom, and a ruthless mentality to go every game with the mentality to win the game.”
We need to make better decisions on our squad this summer and the entire football leadership team needs to unite around a vision. Arteta doubled down on the decision making when he tackled the young players.
“I have a lot of faith on all the young talent we have at the football club but we need the right stability and foundations around them to make sure they develop in right way, at the right moment, with the right amount of pressure behind them. In order to do that, it’s a process. If you speed up that process, you risk burning them [out] and we cannot do that. We have some really young players who are playing more football than they probably should be but they are showing great maturity and personality to play in difficult moments which is great for their experience. But we need the other players to support them in the right way and that’s what we are trying to achieve, this balance to be very competitive but excited about the future ahead of us.”
The young players are keeping the club going at the minute. It’s the senior players that have been the issue due to talent, motivation, or contractual issues. If we’re going to elevate our game next season, we need to find players in their mid-twenties that can help elevate the kids. That’ll be tough to navigate in a market where there’s very little money, but there are plenty of players about,
The press tried to angle in on the truth of Matteo, who has told the club he is willing to go if rumours are to be believed.
“All the players that are here, I’m counting on them. If they want to jump on the boat they are more than welcome. That’s always my mindset – I’m here to help all of them to improve individually and collectively, and that is my job.”
That’s a pretty brutal comment to make, but it’s a fair one. Arsenal can’t be held hostage by players who break the rules. We are still a big club and all big clubs have standards with players. Maybe Arsenal are wrong for Matteo right now. Maybe the system could absorb him if we were an actual top 4 club in a better moment. Right now, we need 24 players pushing in the same direction, you can’t compromise on that. When Pep landed at Barcelona, he cleared out the players who didn’t meet the new standards. Huge names. Absolute icons. If you can bin off Ronaldinho because of attitude, then we can try and accept that if Matteo isn’t working out for a 3rd manager, it might be a Matteo thing.
Leave if you want to… unless your name is Saka.
More importantly, who told you Matteo was a problem before anyone else? Me. Same with the Raul worries. Come to Le Grove for the best narratives, unless you are hunting for opinions on CEOs, I have some work to do there.
Right, on that note, I have a little podcast for you, enjoy it, share with your friends, give it a massively good ratings because you love the work. x
Well now we have two games against potentially tough opponent’s to win it. At least something exciting to look forward to.
Although I believe we should be seeing traces of the team we want to be before the season ends.
Funny the ones we lose with him in the squad aren’t mentioned.
Or the fact we haven’t been in the champions league since Xhaka became our “best midfielder”. Heck he did everything he could to ensure we didn’t finish in the top four last season, escorting a Brighton player into the box only to stupidly haul him down.
He meets the standard alright
Sanmi
‘Let’s be honest, most commenters are.clueless about football. Just respond with passion.Xhaka is our best midfielder by a mile.’
Arsenal have never finished top 4 ever since Xhaka became a part of our midfield. Anyone who rates Xhaka has no eye for midfielder. His sometimes neat and tidy game is enough for deceiving the likes of you but it is not nearly good enough.
Charlie yeah because xhaka was a stand out, excellent performer today, wasn’t he? The midfield was extremely average, whether we won or not, as was he individually.
But since you’re going to equate 2 wins with xhaka in the team to being down to him I guess you’ll also have noticed that our worst midfield(s) and campaigns of the last few decades have consistently happened with xhaka as a regular starter. But don’t let a convenient truth get in the way
Some serious Stockholm syndrome you suffer from mate
Pepe will be 🔥 next season, get him a good CAM,
Arteta seems to have learnt the hard way 3CBs and wingbacks is the formation, the fancy inverted fullbacks is brain surgery for this group.
Laca is has to go before he becomes deadwood
It’s a cup competition so getting to the next round is all that matters, on we go!
To be fair though, we’ll be the team every other semi-finalist wants in the draw – bring it on I say!
City have debruyne, Gundogan and The two Silva’s, Chelase have Kovacic, Jorghinho and Kante, Even United have pogba and Fernandez and we are still talking up Xhaka. This is a player who has failed here for the past four years. If Arteta is serious we need to bin him and sign some one worth it. Then keep the likes of Guendouzi and Willock as backups.
Our ‘best midfielder’ was once again almost blushing within a few short minutes after getting punked at the back post. Fortune that the player it fell to was offside was all the spared us
How many times have we written the above passage in the last few years lol. But he was offside so apparently it was good defending and all is forgotten
Look at the salt hahahahaha
Haven’t been in the CL since we signed Auba either, elite correlations analysis as always.
Good result but again another very dodgy performance especially in defence. Hope the Mustafi is better under Arteta line starts to disappear. We will not get anywhere without fixing that back line and that’s why some of the defensive signings made are very questionable. The less said of our midfield the better and please for the love of god can we stop playing Saka all over the pitch and just stick him in his natural position. All very Wenger like and amusing that somehow Xhaka being the best midfielder at the club doesn’t scare some folks.
” Fcuking cvnts!!
Never seen a team filled with such Lilly livered pussies. I’m so bloody pissed off.
Lemme go for a jog … I’m beginning to hate this team. They can bloody lose.
Fvck em and Arteta!”
What team do you support then..
I’m with Charlie here
Xhaka is not the reason we’ve been so shite.
Even last season’s failure can’t be hung around his neck;
-Mustafi became Zaha’s bitch at the Emirates,
-Auba missed crucial goals including penalties at the NLD
-Lacazette going on vacation for most of last season.
– Koschielny having a stinker against Giroud in Baku
-Ozil stinking out the place all through last season… the list goes on and on.
We just choose to scapegoat Xhaka.
Charlie now comparing auba’s impact with xhaka’s?
Literally take a moment to consider how dumb this comparison is…
Just half a second really should suffice
I don’t think making Saka a jack of all trades will eventually make him a master of one position.
Another reason for him to leave Arsenal.
He’s being overplayed and heading towards the predictable breakdown.Emery’s physio is waiting on the wings to get blamed.
Official PL stats has GX scoring 7 goals in 123 matches at 0.06 goals per match.
To balance that out he also has recorded 7 errors leading to goals in that time (to be fair to him I thought that it would be more).
Elite player?
China1
‘ Charlie now comparing auba’s impact with xhaka’s?’
That’s not what he suggested though but I know you know better.
Dissenter not really because all those players got criticism for their parts. No one said responsibility lies solely with granit But take a moment to consider how ridiculous it is that auba takes responsibility for missing a penalty whereas xhaka was extremely average for the entire second half of last year and they are being talked of in the same breath as though they somehow equate A better question is take auba out of the squad last season and see how we would’ve done. Now take xhaka out and consider the same. This is not a serious comparison And as… Read more »
China
Nah just you being your usual dense self when trying to unpick what’s being said when it goes against your own beliefs.
You: Xhaka is fucking garbage
Me: Xhaka is our best midfielder
You: lol we haven’t won anything with Xhaka, imagine thinking he’s so good.
Me: ……uhm, he’s our best midfielder, that’s literally the only point being made. He’s the best we have, we should be keeping the best and improving the worst all over the team.
You: blah blah Stockholm syndrome blah blah, joke footballer.
Me: hahaha state of you.
Xhaka is not our best midfielder. Ozil and Torr are better even though I do not rate Ozil.
Some posters really are pathetic.. Makes u wonder who they actually support.. One the other day suggested willock and Tierney were championship players.. Today were probably our 2 best players.. Still think Arteta will get it right..
“Charlie now comparing auba’s impact with xhaka’s? Literally take a moment to consider how dumb this comparison is…“ I’ve took a moment to consider it. I’ve come to the conclusion you’re a fucking idiot who can’t follow what’s being said so you insidiously twist things to present a false narrative. I said this: “Haven’t been in the CL since we signed Auba either, elite correlations analysis as always.” Meaning the fact we haven’t been in the CL since Xhaka was signed makes about as much sense as saying we haven’t been in the CL since Auba was signed. No mention… Read more »
OK lets me bite
He is the best we have and we should improve those around him…great
What exactly is he best at? Making errors? Losing concentration? It has just been proven he is bettered in the progressive passes department by the ill disciplined 20 year old who doesn’t meet the “standard”.
So we get a defensive midfielder to partner him and a new attacking fulcrum, nice. What then happens when he inevitable has to face some pressure in midfield and comes up short again? Why build on a flawed foundation that never offered you that much to begin with?
Yes goonies because my ‘next level logic’ was an extrapolation of what Charlie was doing by implying that xhaka returning is major boost to our chances of winning – logic based on a handful of results which flies in the face of his contribution and form spanning many years Auba’s put the team on his back with a crazy number of goals whilst playing out of position, so even bringing auba into the conversation is patently ridiculous . I’m not even a fan of auba’s but it’s patently the case. When did xhaka put the team on his back? How… Read more »
I would sell Aubameyang, Lacazette, Torreira and Bellerin. Replace them by 4 physically impressive players.
1 LIW: a left inverted winger who can act as competition for Saka who definitely needs a break.
1 striker :Right now none of our strikers are tall and none can play with their back toward goals.
1 DM: Same in midfield, somebody who can play on the half turn and still release the ball forward.
1 RB: AMN may not like playing there, but his best chance at making it at Arsenal long term is still to either play RWB or RB.
Re: Xhaka Xhaka is like our Wenger. He maybe not be the best in his position or role. But my golly. He is durable, honest, resilient, underrated, undettered, and puts his body on the line for the club. Written off with a season ending injury a week ago – he is already back and back as captain. The first name on the team. sheet. The players all the others really look up to. He ain’t sulking or skulking- he is a man of substance. And we HAVE fans than favour Genduzi over Xhaka? Good grief- no wonder , why this… Read more »
Truth is these Wenger boys don’t care how dodgy a player can be in certain aspects as long as he looks “nice” on the ball. There is no mystery about Xhaka. He looks neat and tidy and competent when he has time on the ball. He can even at times perform when the pace quickens but alas he gets caught out too many times when this pace of the game does quicken and he is afforded less time on the ball. It’s been said so many times about him before. If fans are fine with a midfielder who the whole… Read more »
And yeah you’re right I have a chip on my shoulder It’s a fucking huge one which I’ll be the first to admit It’s called resenting that average and worse is now being given credit on a day to day basis at this football club It’s the same mindset that allowed wenger to stay on so long doing barely the minimum and even less in time. You’re absolutely right that pisses me off mightily lol. I’m more aghast that so many people have recently been somehow pulled into this familiar new arsenal way of going this way. Getting rid of… Read more »
I’ve been saying for a while that Auba can score is yearly allotment of 25 goals and we still won’t be a CL squad.
I’ll rather have a 15-goal a season striker and an active mobile midfield that contribute towards goal scoring.
Simply put I would sell both Auba and Laca and invest it in a less prolific physical striker and a better midfielder.
Valentine why should we make a player play where he doesn’t so he can “succeed at Arsenal”? He must not play here. If he believes he is a rampaging winger or a competent midfielder and some other club agrees sell him. Let players play only where they are comfortable and happy playing. No need to make him play there and later say he is more comfortable playing further forward. That boy AMN had a stinker in the EL final last season, most of you were too fixated on the coach to realize that. He basically handed Chelsea the game after… Read more »
Amid all this negativity and crappy season, Can I just say pepe and Tierney are going to explode next season. I believed last summer was our best and Add Martinelli and our rookie CB having a productive loan spell, We will be surprising a lot of people if we fix our midfield this summer.
“Xhaka is like our Wenger.” what a legend?
“Yes goonies because my ‘next level logic’ was an extrapolation of what Charlie was doing by implying that xhaka returning is major boost to our chances of winning“ Because having your best midfielder in midfield tends to boost your chances vs when he’s absent. Same applies all over the pitch. Only difference is you continually dismiss Xhaka and belittle what he offers because you think it makes you a super fan to want better players and denigrate those not as good as past greats. Slow clap, you’re the only fan out there who wants better players. Let’s all marvel at… Read more »
Habesha Goon “””We will be surprising a lot of people if we fix our midfield this summer.”””” We will surprise people one way or another. Have no doubt about that. Still wont finish in the top 4 though. Chelsea,Man United, Liverpool & Man City are hectares ahead of us. On a good season,next season and it all clicks- we might nick a scabby Loosers Cup spot but on a bad season and it all goes wrong and Raul and Edu and Kia continue to run amok – its relegation. There is No CL for Arsenal for the foreseeable future Mind… Read more »
New post.
What’s going on with Mesut Ozil?
It’s looking like the situation is really broken down with Arteta.
Interesting above re GG.Buying Seaman. I reckon I was in a very small minority wanting Lukic to be replaced. Remember his debut at Wimbledon, we had bought Andy Linnegan,he was expected to partner Adams, Bouldy never gave him a chance.
I really like what I’ve seen of tierney. If he stays fit and kicks on he could do big things for us.
Considering draws have been killing Arsenal in recent seasons too many of them and against some of the lesser lights I wonder how many draws are in this stat regarding Xhaka. The simple truth is he is suspect when the game gets high tempo in a league where enough games can be high tempo. No-one can deny that at all. It’s stamped on his forehead. If fans are fine with such a player then fine. Just don’t delude yourselves that Arsenal will be winning anything really big with him in the side. A shot at FA Cup and League cup… Read more »
If we have a long term plan/vision and Arteta is part of that plan we should sign no more than 2 players in the off-season, if any at all. He has signed 3 already. As it’s his first job he needs time to grow into the role, to experiment and settle on what is his style of football. Arteta needs time to know what the Arteta way is. It’ll be stupid to start chucking money at a manager effectively getting work experience on the job. Next season is another write-off, anything good is a bonus. This is fine as long… Read more »
It is not about rating Xhaka, it is about making use of what you’ve got. You cant sell your best midfielder when you can offload others.
Sell Ozil, Aubameyang (he hinders others, doesnt play with the team, except you play him with 2 up top), sell lacazette. Bring in 2 strikers with pace, finishing and ability to hold up play. Bring in a left winger, and another AM. Business done
Ishola,
Xhaka is not the issue. He plays in a position where speed isnt required.
Our problems are up top. Ball doesnt stay there long enough and we have an AM missing in action so we aren’t creating much
“Our” Arteta marches on
Thats the title of the next post,
you heard it here 1st!
Xhaka is a temperamental slow paced error prone liability.
Xhaka is a temperamental slow paced error prone liability…….
Our midfield has largely been our downfall imo
add kola and Bellerin, who have been really poor
Laca had a stinker of a season
Ozil still lurking about
Auba scored few but missed quite few as well, not very good stat for a supposed elite striker
All need replacing within the next 2 windows I reckon
We could have done something useful in January, shame both recruits are out injured and contributed big fat 0 to our 2nd half of the season push
We havnt learned anything from the Suarez /kallastrum shambles, worse we extended their contracts!
Our midfield has been weak for years, poor at dictating play and poor at holding onto possessions
Red if we bring the red bull kid not attempting his name and Partey our cm will be far far stronger
Guendouzi and Xhaka are not starters on a top 4 team. They don’t contribute offensively.
I liked arsenal because they are Barcelona light. They’d play exciting soccer at times. They don’t do it anymore. They win because they are slightly better at attack. You won’t see Arsenal beat any team 4-1 anymore.
The last minute goals are a theme this year more than ever.