Get this people, I am in America, BUT, in a place called ESSEX. I grew up in Essex and there is a second one. Mad times. ‘Yoooou fuuucking SLLLLAAAAAYYYYYGGGGGGG’ does not go down as well with the locals as it does back home, but hey, you can’t have everything. Talking of Essex, listen to this with the volume on. Absolute ‘YOU LOOKING AT MY BIRD’ gold.
Brentwood beer garden vibes here. https://t.co/V0NfIfLGmv
— Le Grove (@LeGrove) July 23, 2020
Finally, the Premier League season is coming to an end. It hasn’t been glorious for Arsenal. In fact, it’s been our worst ever. No Europe via the front door for the first time in a very long time. The best we can hope for is winning the FA Cup Final against a Chelsea side that has some very scary players in their attack.
The coach has called the problems we’re facing a ‘beautiful challenge’, he knows that his career trajectory directly depends on what he brings to the club over the next two seasons, and he will go hell for the leather to up our standards. It’s a scary challenge, but as many folk will tell you… it’s easier to take a team at their lowest ebb, than getting in there after a winning run. The only way is up.
As for the challenge being ‘beautiful’? Well, let’s just say that when I see an ugly baby, I always call it beautiful. The Arsenal challenge is ork levels of cuteness. Someone has to hug it though, I’m glad the person dishing out the faux affection is a man that has such pristine athleisure stylings.
Europe really is massive for us this summer. You can’t make up the gap with free transfers and Whatsapp scouting tips from untrustworthy sources. We need to have a sharp eye to the future this summer and every single player we look to has to have the ability to add something to the club in the longterm.
We’ve been linked with a bid for left winger Joelson of Sporting Lisbon. The young player looks absolutely electric. He’s explosive from a standing position, has all the tricks you’d expect from a Sporting player, annnnnnnnd… he’s with Kia. The story is that we’ve bid for him because he’s under a contract dispute. Some worry Kia is using us for a bigger pay packet at Sporting… but whatever it is, the player looks good and it’d be the first future-facing name to come from his portfolio.
There’s a view that this sort of signing is why you work with super-agents. The crass idea is if you take some dross, you’ll eventually land some gold. It’s a fucking abomination of a ‘process’ that only the amateur mind would look at as smart. You have 24 spaces in a squad, if you want to be elite, you don’t sacrifice any of them in the hope of a future deal. Doing quid pro quo signings is Del Boy Trotter stuff, it’s just not how a club like Arsenal should ever act, so hopefully, that’s not been the case.
I genuinely hate the way people look at dark arts in football like it’s clever. The type of people that purr over this sort of thing are the types that like to tell you who the hard men are at the local shit hole pub. Being smart is the best way to win at football, doing things properly, underpinned by good decisions from talented people. That is what should be revered… and look, don’t take my word for it, look at how many clubs are trying to move away from super agents reccos. Look at the state of Barcelona these days, The Athletic reckon they barely use a scouting department.
‘Among a host of concerns, The Athletic can reveal that scouts feel alienated from the recruitment process. Barcelona, quite remarkably, held just one first-team scouting meeting over the past year. Barcelona, as well as rivals Real Madrid, declined to comment on all points presented to them for this report. There is also frustration that the club’s world-renowned data scientists are not trusted or involved in the recruitment strategy, while several figures around the club stated they felt the club had become overly dependant on certain agents for recommendations.’
Sound familiar? Super-agents are bad news. Still, at least we know that Mikel knows what he’s after this summer… creativity.
“You go back to (Santi) Cazorla, to (Tomas) Rosicky, to (Andrey) Arshavin when he played there, to (Aaron) Ramsey when he played there, to (Henrikh) Mkhitaryan when he came in. Even Jack Wilshere used to play in those pockets all the time.
“That is a lot of players who are now not here. We have to renew that cycle, because if not, those kind of players won’t be there for us anymore.
We need a real infusion this summer. We need a marquee creator, but we also need at least two other players that are on the up that can help us. We can’t have just one Jack Grealish this summer is what I’m saying.
Still, that makes things very exciting. We’ll be addressing the fun positions which. I mean, we need players everywhere. An 8, a 6, a new centre back. The list is vast, but the most important areas are in chance creation because things are dire at the moment.
I’m not sure what Arteta is planning against Watford this weekend, we know he’ll want to win, and he’ll have had some time to think about how bad we were in the final third. Does he practice setting up a deep block again? Does he try something new in the pockets we’re lacking? Or does he see the game as a dead rubber?
Who knows, but the Chelsea game is going to be very difficult and if we play like we did against Villa, we’ll be handsomely beaten.
Right, short post today, see you in the comments.
s
Lampard picked the wrong manager to feud with.
How can anyone dislike Klopp?
CC
FF Snr + wife no 2. He used to use the Anchor at Nayland – a bit of a change from the Bakers Arms, Stratford when he was a player.
I fully expect Ozil to be in contention for the cup final.
He doesn’t need to be match fit.
Remember when he played away to liverpool without being match fit .
He was a class above the rest.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3Db0jpA4-Pik8&ved=2ahUKEwjrscPUz-bqAhXCRBUIHa8ABs4QwqsBMAB6BAgEEAM&usg=AOvVaw1siOW3SXEQA7n7PENJrdVu
If Arteta has any sense and wants to win the FA cup, he needs to bring in the one player the team is missing to get the attack purring.
Pierre
You know you’re reaching hard when you post a clip against Liverpools under 21 team in the league cup as proof of how magnificent Ozil is. Quick dig out the only other game in the last 2 years where Ozil has looked decent, against Leicester last season.
You mean class above the kids in both sides?
CC
I live a Stokes fixer from Seton Hall in South Orange. We’ve been here a decade and really like the place. Sid may not like gangsters. He has a point. But these ones have a way of ensuring that the crime rate is low and the property rates are stable!
Funny thing is, decades ago, I attended the University of … Essex, as an undergrad. Lived in Colchester. I remember it very fondly. Life has a way of moving in circles.
I can tell you now, Mesut Ozil will not be playing in the Cup Final.
Or maybe it was the fa cup, can’t really remember and doesn’t matter. It was still their youth team, you would expect a 350k a week player to look half decent in that context.
Was that the game where the heads down merchant Martinelli got lucky and bumbled in 2 goals without knowing it? You know, like you claimed at the time.
“Was that the game where the heads down merchant Martinelli got lucky and bumbled in 2 goals without knowing it? You know, like you claimed at the time”
Yep.
Pierre – Ozil really enjoyed himself in that game – he was allowed to use his skills to the full. In earlier times he was one of the worlds best in that position. Sadly a number of issues mean that he is unlikely to wear an Arsenal shirt again – we can merely speculate what has gone on behind closed doors.
Maybe we can ask Chelsea to play their youth team so Ozil can feel like a big boy again? It’s been a while…
Im also wary of Mari coming good.
A giant of a man, but slow as the titanic trying to avoid the iceberg
How do you do your ankle like that anyhow? Its like he just moved normally and it gave out… at least from replay on TV
Im excited about Saliba… I do hope we sell some CB and get another one in, and a free one in SARR!
The psg game is absolutely mental
Mbappe just injured himself….bad news for psg ahead of the champions leagie
Considering Arsenal’s best chance against Chelsea is to defend and carry out quick counters than Ozil is very unlikely to start.
That tackle from Perrin was bad, Mbappe might miss the champions league. ridiculous tackle.
Daniel
I’m not watching but what the fuck is go=ng on there?
9 yellows and a red in 1 half, has there been a mass brawl or something?
Bet they wish they weren’t so greedy and waived the fee for Saliba now.
It looks like calhanoglou is getting back to his best….yet another outrageous free kick
Looks like Mustafi is out for the final. Shit.
I guess its a back three of Luiz Holding and hopefully Tierney and not Kola.
DanielI’m not watching but what the fuck is go=ng on there?
9 yellows and a red in 1 half, has there been a mass brawl or something?Bet they wish they weren’t so greedy and waived the fee for Saliba now.
@freddie I am watching two games at the same time lol😂 the Atalanta one and the psg one but the psg one has descended into a yellow card party.The ref has clearly lost the plot too.Neymar has been class though,I think he is wasting his career in France
I remember mentioning about Wesley fofana too…he is not as stylish as saliba but he is like the joe gomez to a van dijk(saliba)…good aerially and absolutely loves to get stuck in ..and I am not talking about this game only
Duvan Zapata would look good in the epl.
Daniel
Had some hopes we would try to do a Saliba style deal for Fofana to have him ready when Luiz contract ends but after the latest loan fiasco I’m not seeing that happening.
We have to be creative this summer to fulfill our needs. I don’t know about malang sarr but if he is as good as holding we should sell Holding. He can fetch us around 15 mil. Him Mustafi and Sokratis can bring us around 30 mil which is enough for a decent midfielder. We also have AMN and Elneny and annoyingly Torriera and Guendouzi ( will be a huge mistake) to sell who aren’t fancied by arteta.
Daniel
Had some hopes we would try to do a Saliba style deal for Fofana to have him ready when Luiz contract ends but after the latest loan fiasco I’m not seeing that happening.
Freddy actually your dream may come true,I have seen reports this is what could happen
The LG scouts out in force these past few days.
Love to see it.
I shall accumulate your smarts as my own.
On the owners and board’s approach: ‘A great process to put the team into the next level very quickly.’
The way Arteta’s been speaking , I think some funds will be made available for him.
From the outside, Guendo always seems to be the little brother hanging around Auba and Laca. How these two have not been able to bridge the gap between the player and coach tells a very big story.
Looks like this relationship is permanently broken.
What a damn shame for the player and club.
The arguments for Jordan the Donkey winning the FW player of the year award are the biggest jokes of all time. Clear English bias.
Imagine if Hendo the donkey was Dutch and Van Dijk was English, watch how they cry and moan about how yelling is overrated and supposed leadership is a tag for a player with no noticeable skills.
Fabinho is so much more to that midfield than the English donkey.
Also Van Dijk, Mane, Alison and TAA have a much Bigger claim than Henderson.
My vote would have gone to KDB who’s been simply amazing this season.
“Guendo always seems to be the little brother hanging around Auba and Laca”
I think they are all French speaking. But Auba is more like a play boy. Laca is interested in drug. Only Luiz acts more like a captain and talked to Guen. But Luiz must be totally sided with Arteta..
NJ GoonerJuly 24, 2020 19:45:38
Sid may not like gangsters. He has a point. But these ones have a way of ensuring that the crime rate is low and the property rates are stable!
This is true as long as you stay within the radius of their neighbourhood.
The Godfather
KDB has quite simply been robbed . He has a chance on Sunday to break the record number of assists in a season. On top of the goals that he has scored . Insane to be ignored for that for Henderson . Heck even Alexander-Arnold wouldve been a good choice.
“https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3Db0jpA4-Pik8&ved=2ahUKEwjrscPUz-bqAhXCRBUIHa8ABs4QwqsBMAB6BAgEEAM&usg=AOvVaw1siOW3SXEQA7n7PENJrdVu”
Mom, grandpa’s on the computer again!
Un
Newcastle bought Maximan for 18m. No way they’ll sell him for anything less than 30m in a covid hit environment and 40m in a normal environment.
What The Papers Are Saying- Give them enough Europa ‘Arsenal cannot now qualify for the Europa League through their position in the Premier League table…’ – Dave Kidd, The Sun. ‘Arsenal still needed points to keep their European hopes alive on two fronts…Now all their eggs are going into one basket against London rivals Chelsea in the FA Cup final’ – Graeme Bryce, The Sun. Had Arsenal won, they would have needed to beat Watford with Wolves losing to Chelsea and Tottenham failing to win against Crystal Palace on the final day, all while overhauling a goal differential of at… Read more »
Mr cutter go to bed, 12 hrs of grumpiness from you is more than enough for the rest of the world
Im telling you for free!
Essex as mentioned earlier is a picturesque county to drive around particularly around the Braintree area where I lived a few miles south west of.
From a music stand point the south East Essex area was known as the R&B capitol of the world from from the late 60s until around the early 90s.
Humber Pie
Robin Thrower
Talk Talk
Eddie & The Hotrods
Depech Mode
Yazoo
Kurzal Flyers
Blur
The Prodigy
Dr Feelgood
John Farnham
Steve Marriott
Just to name a few.
https://www.google.com/travel/things-to-do/see-all?g2lb=2502548%2C4258168%2C4270442%2C4305595%2C4306835%2C4317915%2C4319922%2C4322823%2C4328159%2C4371335%2C4381263%2C4393965%2C4401006%2C4401769%2C4402623%2C4403882%2C4412669%2C4270859%2C4284970%2C4291517%2C4412692&hl=en&gl=th&un=1&otf=1&dest_mid=%2Fm%2F012dyn&dest_state_type=sattd&dest_src=ts&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjd97nt3OfqAhVLfX0KHQb9BV0Q69EBKAEwCXoECA4QBQ#ttdm=51.880813_0.423271_11&ttdmf=%252Fg%252F1thxpxm1
‘Arteta has WORSE Arsenal record after 19 games than last four managers having won eight points fewer than flop Emery’
This really means little in the grand scheme of things. It ignores the circumstances Arteta inherited and the general improvement that can be measured both statistically and by common sense.
Chris
What special circumstances?
Just saw these stats on my boy Dom:
“Dominik Szoboszlai’s last 7 matches
5 Goals. 10 Assists. 32 Key Passes. 4.57 Key Passes Per Match. ”
What was it Ozil had this season, 1 goal 2 assists, 38 key passes? Sure it’s a weaker league but those are insane numbers any way you look at them. Make it happen Raul ffs.
Habesha “We have to be creative this summer to fulfill our needs. I don’t know about malang sarr but if he is as good as holding we should sell Holding” Personally, I would prefer to see us be more creative on the football pitch. Unlikely to happen I know without that one player who can inspire his team mates and bring them into play. To get the best out of Pepe, someone needs to feed him the ball . Apparently, according to ishola , we are going to sit back and defend against Chelsea. Not a wise move I have… Read more »
Chris,
for every improvement statistically, theres also another showing deterioration
One step forward one step backwards
Sitting back to defend against chelsea will be suicidal,
they will bombard us with aerial ball and the knock downs will cause diarrhoe moments amongst our CBs
Im telling you for free!
The Godfather “What a damn shame for the player and club” Dont tell Champagne Charlie but Arteta’s non-negotiables could have a negative effect on the team.. At this rate the non negotiables will marginalise a player every 3 months. Originally, I liked the sound of Arteta’s non-negotiables, however in the short term it has had a detrimental effect on our league campaign. Maybe in the long term the non-negotiables will prove to be a positive for Arteta though I believe it may be wise to relax his non negotiables stance a little or he may find himself involved in too… Read more »
“Personally, I would prefer to see us be more creative on the football pitch.” Me too pierre. But Ozil isn’t our answer. We need to raise funds to sign a creative player. Malang sarr is a 21 year old CB who we can have for free and he is valued at 18 mil euros if his contract didn’t expire. We can sell Holding for around 15 mil to an English club. That in turn can give us an opportunity to sign someone like Grealish or Van debeek. This summer there needs to be ruthlessness. If we have no funds we… Read more »
Arteta values intelligence and strong work ethic on the pitch and in training.
That’s why he’s binned Ozil. Couldn’t have worked out better for us.
Habesha
Personally I would like to see us with a completely new midfield next season.
Sell xhaka and Torreira plus Guendouzi .pay Ozil off and no loan deal for Ceballos.
Keep willock and smith rowe and if they dont show progress then sell them next year.
Arteta has already said he wants more technical players in midfield .
Partey , Thiago, Coutinho and Grealish are the level of players we need in midfield
Jamie
“That’s why he’s binned Ozil. Couldn’t have worked out better for us.”
Yeah, that worked out really well didn’t it.
I would say I can’t wait for ozil to be gone so we don’t have to hear about him every other post.
However I know too well due to form that certain posters will still mention him constantly and we will never move on.
Tony, I lived in Braintree for more than 20 years, vaguely knew Keith Flint as part of the local biker scene. Not the most exciting town but mostly decent people and plenty of pubs. Used to get the train up to Liverpool St. to watch the Ars from the late seventies all the way through to the early nineties when I moved away.
“Yeah, that worked out really well didn’t it.”
It did. We’re in a cup final in Arteta’s first half-season in charge. I think he knows what he’s doing. He values commitment, dedication, and hard work. Non-negotiables.
Time’s up for the wasters in the squad who mail it in and the know-nothing obsessives who continue to support them with daily love letters.
Couldn’t have worked out better.
Pierre
Genuine question, Why do you value Ozil so much? I used to like him as a player and as a person too. But he has declined so badly these past few years, It feels like we are being ripped off. Do you think he contributes enough for the wages we pay him? Would you let him go for free if he wanted out today with 1 year remaining on his deal? Do you believe all the coaches just have an agenda against him?
Aubameyang will be desperate to play so he can regain the lead in the EPL Golden Boot race. Fair enough.
After he scores a few, take him off.
Otherwise against Watford I would play youngsters and those on the fringes…
Keep our strongest team for the cup final…
Yes the midfield should be torn down completely and rebuilt which is why i find the whole Ceballos thing puzzling, he isn’t going to transform our mid field and should be considered only if you are moving Xhaka on. He can play that Busquets role for us. Pierre is only desperate for Ozil to play so he can credit him with winning another FA cup for us like he did for the previous three, don’t indulge him. The last manager who he absolutely loathed started Ozil in a cup final and paid the price for it, he was a passenger… Read more »
Calypso
It has been repeated on here enough times how we declined at an alarming rate in the autumn. This is why Emery was dismissed, we were porous in defence and conceding a ridiculous amount of shots on our goal.
Those are the kind of stats that tell a more sincere reality of the trouble we were in, not how many games a coach won in his first however many matches.
Since Arteta has been coach we have indisputably improved defensively, his next challenge is solving the lack of creativity and dynamism in the midfield.
Sid
We have improved in more stats than those we have declined in, so actually I would suggest 2 steps forward, one step back etc
Habesha “Genuine question, Why do you value Ozil so much” Genuine answer…..I don’t. You won’t find one comment where I have said he is playing brilliant or is irreplaceable. My argument is and always will be , if results and performances do not improve with Ozil out of the side, then play him. Quite clearly our performances and results have been poor/ inconsistent post lockdown. This year , we have gone from outperforming ALL our rivals with Ozil in the side to underperforming ALL our rivals without Ozil in the side. The liverpool and city games were excellent backs to… Read more »
Receding “Pierre is only desperate for Ozil to play so he can credit him with winning another FA cup for us like he did for the previous three, ” Slightly pathetic comment there don’t you think.. The fact is , we did go 8 /9 years without a trophy before Ozil arrived and then proceeded to win 3 in 4 years. Receding “The last manager who he absolutely loathed started Ozil in a cup final and paid the price for it, he was a passenger all game.” Having Ozil man mark jorginho was a masterclass in stupidity by Emery…any clown… Read more »
“I predicted that the Wenger obsessives would become Ozil obsessives and how true that is.They are being proved wrong on a daily basis about Wenger and until the team improves without Ozil they are also being proved wrong about him.” No one is obsessing about anyone Pierre, except you of course. Turning your ire against another has been holding the club back when the first is removed is only natural. Wenger is proving no one wrong, except of course the ones believing it would be easy to turn around the mess he created with shite, declining players on astronomical, totally… Read more »
I’m sure the club would arrange a game of thrones like walk of shames through the streets of London if that was viable, just to get him to fuck off. Not sure he has any pride left though so probably wouldn’t work anyway.
“They are being proved wrong on a daily basis about Wenger”
Translation: bE cAReFuL wHaT YoU wIsH fOr!!!
Pierre already hates Arteta. Expect the saltiest of tears if we win the FA Cup without his boyfriend in the squad.
“The fact is , we did go 8 /9 years without a trophy before Ozil arrived and then proceeded to win 3 in 4 years.”
Yea all down to Ozil that, he was everywhere in all our FA cup games wasn’t he, wonder why no other club wanted this trophy guaranteeing genius.
Madrid won three Champions league titles after they got rid of the bottler.
A non dribbling, non shooting attacking midfielder who hides behind a vague stat like chances created
Pierre I do understand the clamour for Ozil in terms of including him in games where we face a parked bus, in terms of talent there is little question he is our most creative player to pick the lock in those types of games. However if you are hoping to see him feature in the cup final I think you are going to be disappointed, whatever ostracism the club placed on Ozil last year that was abandoned seems to be enforced rigidly now. I would be very surprised to see him play in our last two games. I do think… Read more »
“Having Ozil man mark jorginho was a masterclass in stupidity by Emery…any clown could see that.”
He should also be free of any responsibility on the pitch, you are the dude who wants the whole team to work towards getting the ball to Ozil for him to do what with it? Pass it another team mate
You were on here comparing him to Messi and Ronaldo…get a grip!!
Receding
“He (Ceballos)can play that Busquets role for us.”
How will he manage to do that Receding.
Busquets is cool and calm in possession and is a master at reading the game and keeping it simple….in his prime he made the game look ridiculously easy.
Ceballos is a busy little player and is neither cool nor calm and keeping it simple is not really his game.
Fair enough pierre. You get in a lot of arguments about Ozil. But do you agree we need to move him on this summer? I think we should play him in games where the other team parks the bus while we still have him but No way should he play in the cup final. He is useful when the other team haven’t got much threat. Against Chelsea he will be a weak link. The city win wouldn’t be possible with Ozil in the side. We need to move on from Ozil this summer.
Receding
” getting the ball to Ozil for him to do what with it? Pass it another team mate”
It’s not a crime to pass to a team mate and recession ..it tends to be some6we struggle with since Wenger left.
You have just likened Ceballos to sergio busquets 🤣🤣 who is the master at keeping it simple and passing to a team Mate.
“Busquets is cool and calm in possession and is a master at reading the game and keeping it simple….in his prime he made the game look ridiculously easy.” Ceballos is also very cool in possession and can evade a press, more comfortable playing deep and releasing passes from there as i think he is ineffective further up the pitch, can also tackle as he has shown since the restart, personally i would return him to Madrid as i don’t think he is all that but considering the financial mess we are in a loan deal is okay. I just don’t… Read more »
Busquets isn’t tasked with scoring and creating goals though “stupidlaughingcryingemoji”
For all of Wengers faults, his achievements are what Artetas dreams are made of.
Im telling you for feee!
“You have just likened Ceballos to sergio busquets 🤣🤣 who is the master at keeping it simple and passing to a team Mate.”
Yes but no one suggested Busquest shouldn’t mark opponents, you were the genius that suggested Ozil should just stay up there and his team mates should get the ball to him, one would understand that if he was a goal scorer, but all he simply does is pass it to someone else.
Don’t get where Ceballos, Busquets and Ozil start to compare, you are showing your lack of points.
Habesha
City and Chelsea are incomparable…
I don’t suppose Ozil will start due to these non negotiables ( nothing to do with football) that we keep hearing about.
I think Chelsea are made for Ozil as long as he’s not assigned to the dumb task of man marking jorginho.
There is no reason why Arsenal can’t look to dictate the cup final or at the very least stand toe to toe with Chelsea.
Liverpool and City were completely different games that Arteta managed to perfection
“Liverpool and City were completely different games that Arteta managed to perfection”
Nothing perfect about the Liverpool game, play that game in that manner you lose 9 times out of 10. Don’t get where the praise for that game keeps coming from, we played like a league one team would play against us.
The City game was a nicely thought out game plan. Liverpool was pure luck.
Receding
“, you were the genius that suggested Ozil should just stay up there and his team mates should get the ball to him”
Oh dear, it appears you have gone into jackanory mode.
Pierre Don’t get it twisted, you’re only now against the manager holding the players to a high standard because Ozil fails to meet them. It’s a dull repetition watching you alter the landscape of a convo to suit him, he’s gone completely full circle as a talent and acts a nothing but a burden to the club. Massive drain on wages plus a lack of professionalism. It’s very much your issue that you’d indulge such behaviour for possible short term gain and disguise it as wanting the best for the football club. Best for the football club is to see… Read more »
Knockout punch.
Arsenal signed Jens Lehmann on this day back in 2003 for 1.5 million.
What a bargain
Arteta omitting ozil for football and non football reasons that’s for sure..
It’s the kid Guendo that paid the price for the non football issues and I think Arteta should have dealt with it at the end of the season .
There is no logic comparing the situation of the highest paid player in the squad who has been with the team for over 7 years to that of a kid who’s been thrown into the deep sea in his first season and has done reasonably well showing a lot of potential
CC “Don’t get it twisted, you’re only now against the manager holding the players to a high standard because Ozil fails to meet them.” Receding, jamie or fred would have been proud of that comment….how disappointing that you stoop to their level. Everything about Arteta I like except the non negotiables. The non negotiables line is something that may come back to haunt Arteta. Everything should be negotiable when you are a football manager. Maybe Arteta has set the non negotiable bar too high and needs to lower it slightly or there may be many more who fall foul of… Read more »
The bar is set too high for poor Ozil? He couldn’t even clear a world record limbo bar ffs.
Pierre
Don’t try gaslighting me to blur the sentiment here.
– On what grounds are you suggesting Arteta has set the bar too high?
– Explain why ‘effort and commitment to training’ for example should be a negotiable demand (if all things should be negotiable when a manager)?
It’s no coincidence your view is altered when it’s Ozil that’s fallen foul. To date there’s been absolutely no evidence to suggest the squad finds the demands of them “too high”. Merely that two of the squad have been unable to adhere in some form or another.
Arsenal Managers after 19 Games In Charge-
Don Howe – 31 points
George Graham – 38 points
Arsene Wenger – 31 points
Unai Emery – 38 points
Mikel Arteta – 30 points
My contacts have told me that Arteta did try to lower the bar so that Ozil could meet what was wanted. Unfortunately the Health and Safety Executive stopped him as they deemed it to be a trip hazard for the other players.
Maybe Arteta has set the non negotiable bar too high and needs to lower it slightly or there may be many more who fall foul of such high standards. pierre That is a poor line of thought. A manager should be able to handle egos but he should never accept players that don’t show effort and commitment. Ozil has been criticized for these things. For example Guendouzi is being punished for being egotistical which I don’t agree with but Ozil’s absence is completely justified. Three managers after Wenger all have had problems with him this season. We can’t set the… Read more »
If some of these non-negotiables are a bare minimum effort and actual output then why the fuck should we forget that in lue of a complete sponge like Ozil. It makes zero sense to ask for the bare minimum from everyone else and get a response from everyone bar Ozil. I don’t even know why it’s still a conversation he’s a pathetic player force the issue tell him he won’t play ever again (I’d also throw in training with the seniors) and it’s best he finds a new home. Be done with him
CC Obviously what has happened to Ozil has nothing to with effort and commitment in training or his performance on the football pitch as he was an ever present in the league up until lockdown. According to Arteta it is nothing to do with these non negotiables, Ozil and Guendouzi have been omitted for pure footballing reasons, should we believe him ..not really. To me , he is repeating the same mistakes as Emery. Emery went down this road with Ozil and Ramsey and it cost the team points and champions league football and ultimately cost Emery his job. Just… Read more »
I really find it hilarious. Yeah let’s set the standard for our starting CAM at more or less zero assists and zero likelihood of a goal so that Ozil can meet that standard and play. That is until he gets another sore back presumably when there’s an away game coming up.
Calypso
“ First 19 games
Arsene Wenger – 31 points
Unai Emery – 38 points”
I mean can you not see how the very information you post makes a mockery of the ‘importance’of that stat?
Habesha
“pierre
That is a poor line of thought. A manager should be able to handle egos but he should never accept players that don’t show effort and commitment.”
Footballing reasons apparently, nothing to do with effort and commitment.
That’s put that to bed then…the player that was good enough to start every league game pre lockdown is considered not good enough for the squad post lockdown, despite 4 league defeats in 7 games.
“Pure footballing reasons” he said.
“Asked to expand on his thinking in not playing both Ozil and Matteo Guendouzi, Arteta said: ‘Pure footballing reasons. My decision is always that.
‘My ambition is to put the best squad, the best players, that give us the best balance – in and out of the field – and the best possible chance to win the game.’
Anyway on to more important things after Mikel’s recent comments “a great process to put the team into the next level very quickly.’ it seems as though promises have been made for this summer and lo and behold there’s reports that we’ve opened talks with Atletico about a swap for Partey. Fingers crossed actual strides can be made to improve the squad this summer
Yes Pierre dropping a CAM cause he doesn’t score and barely assists anymore and trots around the pitch like he’s semi retired is for footballing reasons. Unless you think it’s okay for a number 10 to start despite the fact that he doesn’t contribute. Luckily Mikel doesn’t
So basically, what Arteta is saying is that the non negotiables has no impact on his team selections
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DwjxPqYxDt-o&ved=2ahUKEwj136HIv-jqAhXTTcAKHWLyDswQwqsBMAF6BAgGEAk&usg=AOvVaw2OPERqtrzDWRXfgM6t1mt7
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Chris
I’m not Emery’s biggest fan but he wasn’t at Arsenal long enough to compare with Wenger.
Final comment on Ozil worth noting that David Silva at 34 and more or less bit player at City this season due to him leaving and declining still managed 6 goals and 10 assists in the league this season. Juan Mata who has been hot garbage for United this season and who’s going this summer still managed 3 goals and 6 assists this season. Which is also better than Ozil
Ozil is hard done by, supremely talented, we all feel sorry for him, and pierre should be voted in as POTUS
Guendouzi should not have been ostracized by Arteta. As for Ozil, he used to fake injuries even under Wenger who was ever so protective of all his players including Ozil.
Marko “Yes Pierre dropping a CAM cause he doesn’t score and barely assists anymore and trots around the pitch like he’s semi retired is for footballing reasons. Unless you think it’s okay for a number 10 to start despite the fact that he doesn’t contribute. Luckily Mikel doesn’t” I just want what’s best for the TEAM and everything points to Arsenal having better results and performances with Ozil on the pitch. Obviously the rest of you are happy that we have missed out on a potential champions league spot. I said potential due to the fact we were only 2… Read more »
Pierre, Emery went wrong on many levels, but caving on Ozil and Ramsey was one of the biggest authority killers.
Shocked that you are suggesting he lower his standards for a player you like.
These first 19 stats are a laugh, Arteta is one point behind our greatest ever manager and 8 points shy of our worst.
TR7 I’m somewhat torn on Guendouzi because there’s a feeling among people in the game that he’s has real potential to be a great player and I’ll be honest I’m not happy that there’s talk of other midfielders being shown the door before Xhaka but in saying that if there’s a genuine problem between player and management (note it’s management and not just coach) then nip that shit in the bud. Take his supposed attitude and that of Martinelli’s and I know which one I’d prefer to build the club around