It’ll be very casual writing over the next couple of weeks. I don’t have much interest in the international matches and there’s not an awful lot going off on the Arsenal front.
Houssem Aouar wants you to know he’s ok. Honestly, he’s just fine.
“It wasn’t really Arsenal or nothing else, although at the end it was close to that. Really, a choice had to be made and I’m happy to stay here.
“I spoke about it a lot with sporting director Juninho. He shows me confidence every day and it’s a real pleasure to work with him. To stay here for another season – or more – with him, it’s a great pride.”
Those are NOT tears. It’s runny icing from a cake or something.
I have to say, looking back on the window, I am kind of happy we landed Partey, despite the priority clearly being attacking capabilities. If we were looking at how the season would shape up right now with just a creator signed, I think we might be wondering about how we’d deal with the lack of power in our midfield this season.
Don’t get me wrong, Houssem is an excellent player that could have been a game-changer for us. However, I do think we’ll have more luck finding a creative spark with a stable midfield, than trying to find power and control.
… and look, missing out on him likely means the move is over. I truly hope a greedy agent didn’t scupper his move. Anyway, that could open us up to better options next season. If we manage to sneak into the Champions League, we might have the finances to make Jack Grealish happen. A player that produces the numbers we need, someone who says The Grove is his fave stadium, a player that’ll be finding peak next season. One can dream, right?
Just to deviate back to Thomas Partey, the below video should get you excited. A stats person actually excited about the signing, and I am all for it.
I was wondering to myself whether the club will go back in for a Head of Recruitment type figure. We lost Cagigao, Sven is in Germany… there doesn’t seem to be much in the way of rumours with regards to that role. One would assume another £1m a year hire is probably not on the agenda of a club guillotining the club mascot. So what does that mean? Did the head of recruitment job get the internal solutions treatment? Wenger would be proud. The analysts must be picking up the slack and one would assume Edu and Arteta are probably more wired into what good looks like that Raul and Emery.
Not to cover old ground, but I still can’t believe Emery had Partey at the table last season and thought the priority was £72m winger. The best winger on the planet wasn’t making Arsenal a force last season. Baffling.
The transfer strategy this season looked fairly sensible, but we didn’t do anything overly curveball. I’m looking forward to seeing if that changes as we increase revenue over the next few years. Will Arsenal spend more time in eastern Europe, a well of exciting players with elite mindsets. When will we start paying more attention to Africa? North Africa has been a talent hive for years, same for the west. But what about the more southern areas?
Patson Daka, striking sensation playing his trade at RB Salzburg, originates in Zambia. He scored 27 last season, and he’s on 11 already this year. Following where teams like RB scout is never a bad bet. They have an ingredients list for their players and it doesn’t stop delivering hits. Keep and eye of this guy, he looks like the sort of player that’d thrive in the Premier League. He’d certainly be a good replacement for Lacazette when we look to upgrade. At 22, he’s hit the Logan’s Run age where they’ll look to move him out to the German Franchise or to whoever has the cash to get him.
I also wonder why we aren’t organising a feeder club system like City and others are attempting at the minute. The Colorado Rapids aren’t up to much this season, but it seems odd that there aren’t closer ties to Arsenal. Firstly, because the United States and the MLS in particular, has been producing some hits when it comes to young players. Factor in that lots of parents of precocious athletes might start favouring football, because, you know, it doesn’t melt brains… well, there’s probably not a better time to start expanding the new Arsenal IP and creating a feeder factory.
This is what happens when there’s no football.
Ok, listen to my podcast if you haven’t already, then come join the comments for a chat party.
Left
There are exceptions for some football clubs – for example Ceballos didn’t have to isolate after coming back over from Spain.
I don’t know all the details but if there weren’t exceptions you wouldn’t be able to have any international or European football.
Marc/Graham 62.Both possibility’s I have to say.Mental.🤪
Charles Watts and others are saying they found Wenger’s book disappointingly bland and lacking any real insight into various issues everyone hoped he would shed some light on, finally.
Uwot
I see. So unless the government makes an exception, he is stuck in Scotland for another 9 days or so.
Tierney tested negative for Covid but positive for the antibodies, btw, which means he had it at some point. This makes me wonder how many of the Arsenal players have had it at some point.
https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/kieran-tierney-latest-coronavirus-arsenal-angry-scotland-a4566221.html
groovedaddy,
If there was anything interesting Wenger didn’t see it.
LT
From what people are saying (on Twitter, presumably having had access to an advance copy). he pretty much sat on the fence about everything.
@Groovedaddy – sounds like one of his press conferences.
Wenger and Arsenal – both still trying to sell a load of old crap!
I personally am most curious to know what Wenger has to say about his final twelve months at Arsenal. Some key moments in the timeline include: April 2017: Wenger is publicly asked about whether the club will bring in a Director of Football to work with him; Wenger says he has no idea what a Director of Football does. “It is somebody who stands in the road and directs play right and left?” (Yes, he really said this.) May 2017: Arsenal finish 5th & outside the top 4 for the first time in Wenger’s reign. Arsenal finish 18 points off… Read more »
Andy
Certainly doesn’t make me want to throw down my hard-earned on it. I might get a pirate digital copy when they do the rounds, but more than likely the odd quotes we’re going to be seeing on social media over the next few days will be enough.
London-based Noah Media Group is joining forces with Paris-headquartered Federation Entertainment on “Arsène Wenger: Invincible,” a feature documentary portraying the French soccer pioneer who changed the landscape of the English Premier League.
I’d watch it.
I’ve never been able to enjoy a book reading it infront of a pc or tablet/kindle. Just doesn’t do it for me. Not at all.
Are people actually going to buy his book? I mean he was never going to say what really happened in situations that we’d like to know more on because he’s unable to admit fault his ego is too much and it was never going to be controversial or ruffle any feathers because he comes across as boring at. Yes best avoid like I’m sure he does the whole Park Chu Young signing in his book. As for Tierney I think the argument being put forward is that he adhered to social distancing and protocol when it came to Christie’s being… Read more »
New post
Raptora, Look forward for the mental gymnastic by some to justify now the opposite decision that they supported one day ago. It was the wrong decision then and those not taken by the cult of Arteta could see it. Good job the coaching staff also realised it. Like many have said the argument that Saliba was not physically ready was pure non-sense. Also if a player is not physically ready for the premiership, you definitely do not send him in the Championship that is a more brutal and more relentless league without the subtleties and technical abilities of the premiership… Read more »