Gabriel deal edges closer in slow market

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Mikel Arteta ran an interesting interview on Arsenal.com. It looks like the club is trying to rapidly move the news cycle to more positive musings and what better way to do that than have the manager tell you why he’s excited about the future.

The topline takeaways:

  • He’s building a culture based on mutual respect
  • The players better come back hungry
  • He thinks the project is on track, not ahead of schedule

Good times.

It is really interesting listening to him and how he approaches the human side of football. It’s a theme with the really young managers these days. They understand that the game is different, managing people has changed, and they are servants to the players.

It’s very similar in business. The top-down hierarchy of old is dying, players expect contact, they want all the details, and they have different expectations of what work-life should be. I think that’s why managers like Jose struggle to connect with modern players, players don’t expect to be dragged in the media. I winced when I read the new Giants coach is making players do laps when they make mistakes… it’s not how players expect to be treated these days.

It’s also worth noting that the players are different. In my opinion, they are more informed and smarter than they’ve been in the past. This new generation grew up on FIFA and Championship manager, so they’re all FUT and data nerds. They’ve had access to ALL football content via their devices since birth. They understand complex systems and approaches to the game. They have a stack of data associated with their careers that helps them develop.

Our last coach really struggled because he lacked the deftness of language. If you can’t connect with players at the very base level of comms, building culture is going to be very tough. Thankfully, we’ve addressed that with our latest set of coaches. Next season, I hope we see a progression of the culture.

It’s kind of nuts that we’re a mere 11 days away from the Community Shield against Liverpool. I’m not sure how much we can expect to change in that period of time. We have one new signing to boast at the moment, hopefully, Willian changes how we function going forward, but it’s not looking like the shift in squad profile we’re dreaming of.

Not that I’m blaming the club here, not many have done big business yet… and straight after the Community shield, we go into an international break.

Rumours are really heating up now that Arsenal are going to be the chosen club of Gabriel. I’d imagine there’s been some weirdness that we have a different negotiation lead, but it all sounds fairly positive. There seem to be a lot of journos seeking to be the truth-tellers of the window. Reading between the nonsense, it looks like Napoli would love the player to replace City-bound Koubilally… but, if they can’t land him, they’ll make do with Sokratis.

I like that plan. Gabriel is where Arsenal should be aiming in terms of profile. He’s mobile, technically gifted, and 22 years old. He’ll become a better player at Arsenal, we really can’t lose with a fee as low as £22m. To be honest, I’m struggling to come to grips with why the number is so low? But whatever, I’ll take it, and pray that he and Saliba are the new Sol and Kolo.

Arsenal are reportedly telling Villareal they want £30m for Matteo G. I think that’s a fairly low sum for someone of his talent, but I guess this is the market for him. It’s very interesting how low the interest in him has been so far this window.

Outside that, we’re on a slow news day for sure!

Enjoy the semi-final tonight and I’ll see you in the comments.

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Left Testicle

George Benson with a second!

Just Another Customer

9 goals in 9 matches of CL

who dis Gnabry guy?

Left Testicle

Lando Calrissian on a hat-trick!

Champagne Charlie

Karim

Harsh luck, needed to take the lead to change the complexion I think.

Is Lyon under scrutiny after this season’s CL story is over? No Europe next year, been a poor season over there what’s the story?

WengerEagle

PSG-Bayern should be a great spectacle at least.

Plenty of goals hopefully, Bayern will be heavy favourites but I think M’Bappe, Neymar and Di Maria running at Bayern’s backline will be frightening if you’re a Bayern supporter.

TR7

WE

Was always in favor of keeping Gnabry and Ox but to be fair never thought Gnabry would turn out to be so good. He looks absolute top class. Pace, dribbling, athleticism and can strike the ball with both feet – all the ingredients to become one of the top players in the world.

Nelson

Gnabry is worth more than Pepe.

Buzzy

Aouar getting bullied..that’s why you judge a player by watching an actual game not by YouTube highlights comp

Champagne Charlie

Weagle

Neymar finds his goal scoring boots and it could get real tasty. Overhead kick for world class status up for grabs too lol

salparadisenyc

“Aouar getting bullied..that’s why you judge a player by ….”

Should pull Aouar out, insert Lyon… more accurate.

Habesha Gooner

20+ goals from the wing for Gnabry. 9 in the champions league. Absolutely extraordinary. He is already one of the best wingers in the world.

Buzzy

Not always true..Atheltico Madrid were being bullied by Liverpool in the second leg but Partey was still outstanding

Nelson

Mbappé can give this Bayern defense trouble. But the Bayern’s attack will also give troubles to the PSG defense.

Victorious

Wonder which is the bigger cuck-up? Chavs letting go of Salah or we pushing out Gnabry?

Unbelievable how far he’s come since he left England

Victorious

Sending him to Pulis has proved one of the dumbest decisions we’ve made in recent years,literally anywhere but there and it have could been a different story for us

Luteo Guenreira

Gah it hurts every fucking time I look at that glorious mustache. That could have been our mustache. Well done Serge, impressive brace on the tallest of stages.

The backpass

Aouar is good though, the little i’ve watched he seems good, but still doubts over on him among lyon fans.. Got this from reddit. Although very long so you can skip it. •He’s often better on the left side lately. We almost all cursed at Pep when he put him in the middle left but in the end it made sense. He cut back to the center and is often a source of danger. In the middle he unfortunately lacks presence for me •Invisible for the first 45 minutes. He has waken up the 65th. From there on, we found… Read more »

karim

Charlie

Nah, people realise how good a campaign it’s been for them, even more so with the usual french standards in CL

It’s the first time they won’t be in Europe for about 25 years and Aouar and Memphis were always gonna leave after the season anyway.

Sorry for the ( very ) late reply btw.

Radio Raheem

We’ve let many players like Gnabry go when we did. He is one of the very few who’s done this well. I thought it was the right decision to let him go the time we did. Credit to him he turned it round. There’s absolutely no way anyone could have seen this Gnabry at the time, he was gabbage for the first team when he played.

Arsenal got things in the past letting go of Gnabry at the time wasn’t one of them.

Radio Raheem

*things wrong

Goonah

WengerEagleAugust
19, 2020 19:40:27

PSG-Bayern should be a great spectacle at least.Plenty of goals hopefully, Bayern will be heavy favourites but I think M’Bappe, Neymar and Di Maria running at Bayern’s backline will be frightening if you’re a Bayern supporter.

——————————————————
whooowowwwww

They shit their pants when Messi and Souarez ran at them didn’t they??

Victorious

Back pass

WTF was that post? That’s pretty much a dissertation on bloody Auorrr? lol

Champagne Charlie

Karim

What’s led to them falling outside the European places this season though? Such an ever present, has it been a managerial thing? Squad thing?

Lyon aren’t the 7th best side in France

London gunner

Radio raheem

He was quality he only ever got like one chance and that wc barnstorming goal against spurs.I was vocal that the time that he should have been given a proper chance. Imo it was always obvious he had bundles of talent.

Radio Raheem

Goretzka and Sule are tanks. Sule rocking XXXXL kit.

karim

CC

Clearly not. They had a bad start, dismissed Sylvinho, and were very inconsistent throughout the season. They also struggled to get out of their CL group and Garcia is not much appreciated by the fans due to his Marseille past.

They probably would have had a strong finish in the league, shame for them.

Come on Lyon, yet another goal opportunity missed.

Champagne Charlie

Fuck sake, have to score that.

Sule is toilet

salparadisenyc

Sometimes its just not your night, tonights not Ekambi’s.

Left Testicle

Back pass,
Yep, pretty much?! 🤪

Victorious

Lyon are such a naive team,absolutely wasteful in front goal, stark opposite too the ruthless Bayern Machine

Radio Raheem

London gunner

Yeah I remember that goal. But to my recollection that was an anomaly. How Reiss Nelson plays at the moment reminds me of Gnabry.

Left Testicle

Possibly the longest post in the history of Le-grove.

Even ES wasn’t that long back in the day!

Victorious

Gnabry could have been our Coutinho sale, when we sell for big buck and spread the procceds on various quality players in the team

Big miss

Habesha Gooner

PSG will a much stronger threat to Bayern’s defense. Two sitters fro Ekambi and One from Memphis. Mbappe won’t be so forgiving.

Champagne Charlie

Karim

Sounds like a bit of discontent and disruption across all facets of the club. Hopefully all of it’s sorted come next season and they can be back to the level many expect of them.

Always liked Lyon since early Benzema days, Gonalons, Toulalan, Govou, Grenier, Pjanic, Juninho etc.

Radio Raheem

Bayern are so much better than most teams in Europe they don’t need to put their best side out it seems.

Thiago is better as part of a mid 3 than a holding 2.

salparadisenyc

Garcia following LG comments throws on another former Arsenal man.

Buzzy

The thing with Bayerns defense is that they don’t panic and neither does Neuer..last match when Alaba scored an own goal he was smiling after it went in

karim

CC
They’re my favourite team in France, for the same reasons obviously.
You may add Giuly, Essien, Ben Arfa, Lisandro, Lacazette …
Great at producing excellent players.

WengerEagle

This one’s dead without a Lyon goal in the next few mins.

WengerEagle

Don’t forget Michel Bastos.

Habesha Gooner

I wonder who would win in a foot race between Davies and Mbappe.

karim

Their next gem is Rayan Cherki, 17, believe me this one will impress..

WengerEagle

M’Bappe.

Doubt there’s a faster top level player around atm.

Dissenter

backpass
Why don’t you just record a podcast instead of that long-winding post 🙂

Radio Raheem

Davies’ has had better matches than this.

karim

Eagle
Always liked Bastos.
Lyon will never score tonight the way it goes. Shame as they did pretty well overall.

Champagne Charlie

Karim

They’re a phenomenal hub for talent, underrated for me when we talk about self-sustainable clubs and producing talents themselves.

Dortmund is the first club offered up a lot of the time, but Lyon have to be the most prolific academy in France. Some fantastic players have been groomed there, and that’s right through the side of all disciplines.

Real credit to whoever is in charge of that department. Clairefontaine gets a lot of praise but idk if they’re as plentiful as Lyon, even if some worldies came through there.

WengerEagle

Auoar has looked good imo, can beat his marker quite often which is huge for a CM.

karim

CC
Wouldn’t have said it better.

salparadisenyc

Agree Eagle, so crafty.

WengerEagle

Lyon are a great club for talent alright and they have excellent European prestige.

Always liked them over Marseille.

G8

Wenger still bragging about how he knew about Gnarby potential in bein sports!
Smh..

Habesha Gooner

Auoar is going to be great for whoever signs him. Still 21 and he has taken a lot of responsibility. Just like Cesc although he doesn’t score or assist nearly enough.

Champagne Charlie

Have been impressed with Aouar, but I’m a big fan of Coutinho’s nose for goal and willingness to get on the score sheet. Makes a very big impact when midfielders have a desire for double digit goal returns.

Especially prevalent when our entire midfield could muster about 8 goals total this past season.

Champagne Charlie

Karim

Is there a particular guy/gal that gets credit for Lyon’s production line of talent?

Or is it more of an institutional imperative where all those associated know their job very well? It’s an enviable setup either way.

R.S.P.C.Arsenal

G8
So he never played him

salparadisenyc

Pretty sure Arteta has his sights on a the triple crown of Aouar, Coutinho and Tiago.

salparadisenyc

Thiago…. A l c a n t a r a.

Champagne Charlie

Put my dick away Sal

WengerEagle

Sal

I have it on good authority from a friend of Mikel’s who goes by the name of Mr Dariano Bamford that we’re in advanced talks with Kylian M’Bappe, more to come will keep you all posted.

karim

CC

Good question. Florian Maurice, ex striker, had an excellent eye as far as scouting was concerned but I suppose all their youth teams play with the same style and there’s a lot of talent in the Lyon suburbs, mostly from North Africa.

Habesha Gooner

Semifinals have been largely uneventful except for the United vs Sevilla game. All ended by at least 3 goal differences. Very annoying.

R.S.P.C.Arsenal

I ll say it again
Partly is wrong for us.

Look younger elsewhere

Champagne Charlie

Karim

Brilliant setup, we could learn bundles from it.

Lyon deserved a goal tonight, very harsh 3-0 for me. Sets up a tasty final though, could be a tennis match.

WengerEagle

Habesha

Yeah we all love to see the underdog prevail but if we’re being real, Man City-Bayern and PSG-Atletico would have been more fascinating SF matchups.

salparadisenyc

Lewan had to…

Eagle

Dariano here… my Bamford told me to tell you that M’Bappe has already been secured to partner w/ PEA in our new hybrid 432 ahead of the incoming triumvirate… ok guy?

Don’t be such a dipshit.

WengerEagle

At least we get a mouthwatering CL Final matchup.

Dissenter

The semi finals are so bad.

karim

This time it’s the reliable France football that announces Gabriel.

Habesha Gooner

Wenger Eagle
Yeah but both had their own problems. Athletico deserved to go out. It was harsh on city but they had to put away this Lyon team. A great final in store though.

WengerEagle

Sal

I respect your opinion, guy.

I’m just sorry that you’re clearly a fucking moron, it’s actually Benteke that we’re after and not M’Bappe, an inferior French wannabe Benteke-lite mutant looking Turtle fraud.

Cheers.

karim

L’équipe as well. Final agreement in the coming hours apparently.

Dissenter

Ronald Koeman would be stupid not to bring Coutinho back to Barcelona.

Champagne Charlie

Serge and Jeff representing our incompetence 😍

WengerEagle

Who could have seen this coming after Frankfurt dumped Bayern on their head 5-1 just earlier on in the season?

Flick has done an amazing job turning that season around, on the brink of matching Heynckes’ achievement now.

salparadisenyc

WE

Mate, don’t say stupid shit like that. I’ve been watching the game longer than you. You’re a fuckin’ fan boy. Just because I don’t worship at the shrine of Neymar doesn’t mean I don’t know the game. What a dumb fucking king-of-dumb-cunts thing to say. You fucking child. Jesus Christ. Let’s come up with a wager and the reward is the other leaves Le Grove for a year. You’re fucking annoying, mate.

The backpass

Victorious

“Back passWTF was that post? That’s pretty much a dissertation on bloody Auorrr? lol”

Lol

The backpass

Lefttesticle

I just copied it.. Its not really long when you think of SDE/kiyoshi ito’s post 😂

Champagne Charlie

“Arsenal fans crying about Gnabry? You’ll never understand the pain of Chelsea fans having to watch Kevin De Bruyne and Mo Salah tear up our own league“ – Twitter

This soothes me

karim

A student of the game Sal 🤣

WengerEagle

Sal

Now that I think of it, I’m banned due to that lost wager aren’t I?

Better get in touch with one of my buddies to create a Le-Grove moniker and to transcribe my thoughts in a clearly not 3rd person manner. If we’re not men of our Le-Grove Bamford proposed ‘wager’, then what are we?

salparadisenyc

Eagle

Channeling Dariano is nice… but the real thing is just too pure.
Nobody matches that level, what a twat he was.

If you go… I go.

salparadisenyc

Karim

I was pulling for Lyon man, shame they didn’t get an early one would of been a different match.

Habesha Gooner

Charlie
Hahaha I guess it could be worse. He could be scoring 4 against us instead of spurs.

Receding Hairline

Forget about Coutinho

Koeman says he is very much in his plans for next season

Champagne Charlie

“Koeman says he is very much in his plans for next season“

Source? Only read bog standard pleasantries about a player they already own.

karim

Sal

Didn’t expect such a good start from them, they’ll regret it forever now I suppose.
Should be a good final, they’ve shown Paris that it’s doable.

Radio Raheem

PSG looked the more impressive from the semis.

Graham62

Prediction for final.

PSG 2 BAYERN 4

The Germans were sloppy on occasions and should have got punished.

Played in second gear most of the night.

Ah yes, Mr Gnabry does it again.

Great job Arsene.

I wonder if he’ll devote a chapter on this subject.

Graham62

I remember when everyone was saying Brazil would cause the Germans problems in the WC.

We all know what happened there.

PSG will definitely cause BM problems but I think the ball will be hitting the back of the net more often at the other end of the pitch.

Graham62

Sorry but how the fudge didn’t Coutinho get in the Barcelona team.

Oj

Yeah I dont understand how Barca can’t find a place in their starting 11 for Coutinho…

Saladin

Anybody know anything about this Gabriel bloke? Apart from he is 6’3″ (per google) and is only 22 years old.

Luteo Guenreira

I didn’t know what sal and eagle were talking about with that Dariano stuff so I got curious and went back to find the comments. I was not fucking disappointed holy shit Hamford wtf. That might be the saddest thing I’ve ever witnessed, and I’ve actually seen someone get run over by a car in front of me for real.

RockyRoe

Emi martinez is shooting his mouth a little much for my liking, with all of the 10 clubs interested in me, need more minutes crap.

I get it the lad was outstanding when he got his chance and it would warm my heart to see him take the no. 1 spot, being a academy player n all but i expected more restraint from him. 10 good matches and now suddenly he spouting ultimatums in the press.

Pedro

Luteo, I am meeting Sal for beers now. I have no idea what they were talking about.

Overmars

So far this summer we have signed: Willian – Free Soares – Free Marri – 7 million Now it looks as though Gabriel will sign for 22 million. 4 signings all brought in for less than 30 million quid. 4 defenders if you include Saliba starting a full new season. That to me is outsmarting the market, but let’s see how they get on first. I have a feeling we are saving the money to spend big on a midfielder, either Partey or Aouar. Hopefully Coutinho or Ceballos get signed up for a season too. Still a lot of outgoings… Read more »

Champagne Charlie

“Luteo, I am meeting Sal for beers now. I have no idea what they were talking about.“

Blog of favourites, the outrage.