WOW, I leave you for a day and everything goes crazy.
Arsenal borrowed £120m for a special covid loan to tide them over until the TV money drops. It’s not a shock. We built our future on having fans in the stadium. There are no fans in the stadium. £93m down the drain with many huge outlays.
This money is for cashflow. It’s not there so we can put in a cheeky January bid in for Haaland. What it does remind you is that we’re really not in great shape as a club. Kind of maddening that we dropped such huge wages on certain names if this was what was going to happen… but here we are. Also odd that KSE doesn’t put the cash up. Tells you all you need to know about the idea they’d bail the squad out this summer.
So, as I said in my last post. The priority is going to be clearing people off the wage bill this month.
We moved on Saliba to Nice. He had a mixed bag first game, not surprising considering how little football he’s played, let’s see where he is after 10 games. Because the French media can’t stop crying over this whole debacle, we keep getting drips of information. This is from the player himself.
“I couldn’t train outside, couldn’t play. I arrived there as they were finishing the league season, so I was training alone.
“As soon as they came back from holidays, we quickly had the first friendly matches where I lacked rhythm and was a bit insufficient physically.
“The coach immediately told me that I was not ready. I would have at least liked to have a chance to rediscover my rhythm, but this is football, it’s like that.”
Errr… didn’t the French media run stories that he was totally kept in the dark? They did. Arteta gave more weight to the reasons and they’re basically the same as they were before: At 19, he’s not ready…
“I’ve always been very conscious that when he came back [to London] he hadn’t done the step he needed to do before joining us.
“I want to protect the player that we signed and the future that we have alongside him.
“That’s why we made that decision. I know sometimes it’s difficult to explain or understand after the money the club has spent trying to bring him in only to send him on loan, but a lot of things have happened to him.”
This is logical. What is tough to digest is that Arteta played Runarson in the League Cup knowing he was shite. It’s also hard to piece together the Europa League omission. If you’re good enough for the Nice first team, you are good enough to play against Dundalk. That was the baffling bit and it looked vindictive. The club shouldn’t have allowed Arteta to do that, especially as he kept people like Mustafi in that squad, a player we all knew was leaving.
Talking of vindictive. Mesut Ozil looks ever more likely to move to Fenerbache for the rest of the season. Quite unbelievable listening to his adult fanboys defend something the have ZERO insight into.
1m50 onwards is what you’d hear off the record on Ozil if you spoke to people that worked with him.pic.twitter.com/wbH3VqTlgc
— Le Grove (@LeGrove) January 8, 2021
If you want a little insight into what people behind the scenes tell you about the player, go to 1.45 on this Keown interview. These are the things that bothered Arsenal. The injuries, the illnesses, a whole manner of things that said he didn’t really give a fuck. That was Keown speaking at the end of the Wenger reign, did it get better? No. Emery dropped him, Freddie dropped him, Arteta binned him for good. If you need to find a conspiracy with evidence like that, you have deep problems. Weird that there’s literally a Qanon like group that follow some of our players.
If the player is moving now, it’s because it suits him, and I’ll make a £10 bet with you… he’s not going to lose a penny from his final 5 months. Let’s also see where he goes next, his fans are hoping it’s an elite club, myself suspicion is the clubs he’s being linked to are the level he’ll find. A real shame for someone of his age and talent.
Anyway, we move, it’s 2021, I have no time for toxicity.
The Arteta presser was a whole different mood. He seemed upbeat, positive about how the form had changed, and happy that things are moving in the transfer market.
He’ll be taking the game against Newcastle seriously this weekend. The FA Cup is a backdoor into Europe. One that we’ll likely need if our inconsistency continues this season. I’d also be looking at this game as a good way to bring players back into full fitness.
As I correctly reported, Thomas Partey should be available. I hope they put sensors on that knee and massage it with horse placenta. We need it strong for the remainder.
I haven’t checked, but I’d assume we’ll have Gabriel (defender) back in the mixer again. It looks like we’re starting to get some choice back in the team. I think Pablo Mari has done an excellent job. They like him at Arsenal because he’s a hugely positive influence behind the scenes. It’s a minor thing, but our squad has quite a few Debbie downers, positivity helps, especially when you’re looking to bring kids through.
Will we see some game time given to Pepe, Willian or Luiz? Maybe. They’ve all been showed up by the Hale-Enders. Our run over the next couple of weeks isn’t shocking. We have 4 days recovery after the FA Cup game before we play Palace. Then it’s 3 days until we welcome Newcastle again.
There will have to be rotation. I’d prefer it to happen in the FA Cup. Newcastle will have one thing on their mind this season: Survival. They aren’t going to win a cup this season. They might stay up. They have a HUGE 6 pointer against Sheffield United on Tuesday at their gaff, so I expect efforts and minds to be there.
3 games has changed the mood around the club, the players, and the manager. That could all change over the next 10 days. If Arteta slips back into old habits again, we could find ourselves in trouble again. These next three fixtures are all about momentum. Arguably, the two most important games of the season are at the end of the month. Southampton is gunning for the top 4 and United, as it stands, are title contenders. Bring home 4 points there and we will be right where we needed to be heading into February. The run-in becomes a cup run. This team is built for that.
However, 4 points against United and Southampton will mean fuck all if we botch the next three games. Arteta needs to show us he can defy our low expectations. He’s had his shocking run. We can brush it off as a horrible blip. What he needs to do now is show he can take this squad to greater heights using the ingredients that helped him escape his nightmare.
Let’s see what he has.
Azed
‘He blew his load so early with Arteta only to find out it Arteta didn’t come as advertised.”
So Pedro was ‘Catfished’ by Arteta?
Tee ‘Tired of this autocorrect’ Tired of everything it appears, especially if Saliba is the subject. Except the sound of your own voice and opinions where you deem others are continually wrong. Keep on your high horse running your baseless and boring contrarian opinions telling all they are wrong while intimating they are stupid. You come across as a trainee CC with training wheels, but you will never hit Charlie’s lofty heights who’s in a completely different league to you both with the written word and sharp application of his debating/arguments. I won’t bother you again Tee as I’ll skip… Read more »
Valentin
What are you on man?
These people died and you are finding reasons to laugh?? Regardless of whether they were dumb or smart, these people have died.
Le groves supreme leader, twitter, facebook reading the rule book Authored by N. Koreas supreme leader.
Lmfaoooo!
If there is real interest in Eddie then sell him for 20-25 mil.
Insert a buy back at 40-50 mil and a 15-20 % sell on clause.
Dont know how West Ham managed to get 25 mil for a player who has been one of the biggest flops since arriving in the Prem.
We should bid for Hassenhutl and loan diet Pep to Swindon town
Sean’s excellent appraisal of Balogun shows just how poorly run our club is.
I was ridiculed by some on here the other day for highlighting the fact that I thought Balogun had the relevant qualities based on only seeing him play for a few minutes here and there.
I hope he’s given a full run out today.
Sean, you should apply for a scouting job at the club.
Sean Thanks it’s interesting to read your agenda less posts on youth players. I believe, in the next few games, Saliba is going to show rookie/poor man manager Arteta just how badly he was handled by Arteta and the club. At 38 Arteta isn’t mature enough to manage our youth players. Graham Agree with you regarding Bolagun. Seen enough of Eddie for the foreseeable future; he’s not right for our play being a tap in merchant – albeit a decent one but not something we currently need. Sell Eddie to West Ham and give Bolagun more game time, so He… Read more »
Learning the ropes as a manager or coach. Discuss. It’s absolute poppycock to think that Arteta is not experienced enough to see and feel things. He’s 38 and has been involved in the game since he was knee high to a frigging grasshopper. At 10, yes 10!, you are aware of who are the good players around you. At 15, you have a pretty good understanding of those players that can make it because of their skill set and mental aptitude. By 20, if you’ve made at, as Arteta did, you know most things in respect to player talent and… Read more »
Tony
Yes, I accept your last comment, you was not one of those calling for a loss.
I will respond to your previous comment in which you stated: seem. Whatever you and I think It’ll not change the way the incompetents run the club from Arteta upwards.
I think more realistically, it is better stated that no matter what you or I think, Arteta is at the club until the owners of AFC think otherwise.
“A Villa Academy side and still people rate the FA Cup lol.” The more noise you make in here the more you show how uninformed you are. You should have asked yourself if Villa is bigger than Liverpool that FA cup will now be treated as nothing by them. Hope you know Salah and Mane played for pool? You are toxic in thought which can only be the reason why you are quick to rubbish our achievement due to your hatred of Arteta but you ended up showing that if the “know nothing” brigade are to appoint leaders, then you… Read more »
The logical path, surely, is to
Loan out Eddie
Sign Balogun,
Closely monitor Eddie
Bring back Eddie
Sell Lacazette
Make decision on Eddie
“You come across as a trainee CC with training wheels, but you will never hit Charlie’s lofty heights who’s in a completely different league to you both with the written word and sharp application of his debating/arguments.I won’t bother you again Tee as I’ll skip your redundant and futile posts in the future.” More like your low IQ felt threatened because you couldn’t keep up. Besides, I’m not trying to be nobody here. I am me. So, stop trying to project your mission on me. English isn’t my first language, so, complaining about my write-up speaks more about your insecureness… Read more »
I hate Green Bay
Unfortunately, logic and Arsenal FC don’t go hand in hand.
Why do you hate Green Bay?
I presume that’s the Packers.
🍺
Average age of Villas starting 11 – 18 years and 294 days. Let that sink in! And they didn’t do too bad until they run out of steam and got rolled – Thiago had to come on for Henderson at half time to bolster Liverpool when it was 1-1. Not a bad showing from the kids. And yes it is very funny that Trump supporters met their demise while trying to over throw the lawfully elected government! Sorry but ‘stupid is as stupid does’ etc.
The no.10,/CAM / playmaker is a dying art and has no part in the modern game according to many on Le Grove. I believe they are wrong in making that assumption, I personally believe the playmaker role was, is and will prove to be in the future , the most important player in a football team.. 2 clubs have been transformed on the pitch with the introduction of a playmaker …Manchester United and Arsenal. Fernandez and to a lesser extent Smith Rowe , as it’s early days, have transformed United and Arsenal from being dull, uninspiring , boring teams that… Read more »
“The logical path, surely, is toLoan out EddieSign Balogun, Closely monitor EddieBring back EddieSell Lacazette Make decision on Eddie”
Except the fact that laca can’t be sold this January. It will have to be next summer.
Are you a Chicago man?
Only saying that because of the rivalry between the Bears and Packers.
Villa could have postponed the game but instead chose to write off the FA Cup by playing kids.
Someone tell Pierre the difference between a no 10 that scores and assists as well as does his part defensively and whatever the hell it is Ozil does nowadays.
Can’t stop harping on about it even if he does it in a roundabout way. Just a couple of days left now until the waster is gone.
Pierre,
Yes every team need a playmaker but I think it’s better if the whole Frontline is creative like man city Frontline
Liverpool have workaholic midfielders and creative forwards in Mane and Salah.
Bojangles
‘ I think more realistically, it is better stated that no matter what you or I think, Arteta is at the club until the owners of AFC think otherwise.’
I’ll stick with my version until the club including Arteta stop making incompetent decisions regarding the club’s most important assets: the players.
“Villa could have postponed the game but instead chose to write off the FA Cup by playing kids”
I don’t know but I will like to ask the house if it’s possible for a team to postpone a match. I think the decision is for the FA to take.
I could remember liverpool were made to go ahead with their EFL match against villa when they were participating in the club world cup. They had to field kids in that EFL match and they were defeated.
No excuses for not winning today.
We can’t say let’s focus on the league because the league is already over.
But the FA cup isn’t important. LMAO
Man City didn’t play kids when they postponed their Premier league game
The FA cup is a second class competition but we are a second class club. It is absolutely important that we try to win it. It’s the only reason we even have European football this season after all. Reports of west ham wanting Eddie for 15-20m. I’ve absolutely not ruled out Eddie going on to have a really good career but right now I’d be sorely tempted to take 15+m and promote Balogun (if this will be enough to convince him to sign a new contract). I don’t really want us to sell Eddie but at this moment and all… Read more »
“Man City didn’t play kids when they postponed their Premier league game”
Man city didn’t postpone the match but the Football Association did.
This is what I was trying to say. I think the decision belongs to the FA not the club.
China1
Europa eague is a second class competition played by second class teams.
“The FA cup is a second class competition but we are a second class club. It is absolutely important that we try to win it. It’s the only reason we even have European football this season after all.”
Yes I know. My comment was a reply to Henry19 who earlier mock the competition to downgrade Arteta only for him to now comment it’s a must we win today’s cup game
The FA Cup wasn’t an important enough game for Villa to lodge an appeal to cancel it.
It’s not a must win game for me but it should be for those who cheered Arsenal after winning the dud tournament last season.
Tee
“Liverpool have workaholic midfielders and creative forwards in Mane and Salah.”
The creativity in the liverpool attack stems from Firmino, he is the link man who brings others into the game.
“It’s not a must win game for me but it should be for those who cheered Arsenal after winning the dud tournament last season.”
Lol. Even man city fans cheered EFL cup whenever they win it.
Your tolerance for failure must be zero.
My son put it very well last night.
“Ozil is a lazy luxury that nobody wants”
My 22 year old daughter has also started to take an interest in things again, mainly because of Ollie Watkins at Villa and DCL at Everton.
Her objective when watching any game is to give the players marks out of ten………. for looks!
Man City fans are dumb to cheer winning the EFL Cup when no team takes it seriously.
Let’s get this straight, the only reason Man City are winning trophies is because of the Sheikh.
“Let’s get this straight, the only reason Man City are winning trophies is because of the Sheikh.”
I don’t agree with this. The brand of football they under pep differs from under mancini.
Yes they have the finance but they also hired a good manager.
If it’s all about money then psg should be walking the CL
The Arteta out bandwagon has come to a halt , and now it’s the Nketiah out bandwagon that’s starting to roll.
Who will it be next week?
“The creativity in the liverpool attack stems from Firmino, he is the link man who brings others into the game.”
Agreed but it doesn’t take away the fact that Mane and Salah are creative and can make things happen on their own – referring to individual brilliance
Guardiola wouldn’t touch Man City with a barge pole were it not for the Sheikh.
There are 6 main trophies up for grabs each season.. Premier league. ECL. Europa League. Top 4. FA Cup. Kangaroo cup. All in that order. The FA Cup is, regrettably, not what it was but it is a trophy that can guarantee European football, therefore winning it is a huge bonus for the club. Now I know some of you will highlight Wenger’s record in the competition, which was second to none but, during the period 2006=2018, it was a minimum requirement based on, where we were, where we’d been and the comprehensive infrastructure and resources available at the club.… Read more »
Tee
All forwards are creative in their own way but a playmaker is selfless , he is there to make other players look better and gets his enjoyment of the game through seeing others benefit from his play ..
Brilliant analysis by Keown. He says a lot that resonates about Arsenal. That kind of character and experience has been missing from the dressing room for some time. Our current players “with experience” just aren’t capable of that kind of analysis of a problem, even if they had the weight to do something about it.
Pierre I’m sure they’ll turn on Arteta if Eddie starts banging it in for westham
Graham
So you are saying 4th place is a trophy and putting finance above the achievement of winning a trophy.
I never thought i would see the day when you agree with wenger.
Europa above the FA cup …are you sure ? … not even close.
Raulishuss
Exactly.
So we have to hope Arteta doesn’t go back to his old habits Pedro, old habits that delivered 8 league losses before December. So basically what he has now is forced upon him because his initial vision was a disaster, and you don’t find that concerning.
Its not about ‘if’ its when Eddie starts banging them in for Westham. Diet Pep has grossly misused him.
You heard it here 1st!
Keown should realise his blind support of Wenger is the reason their are no characters in the dressing room.
The only reason Arsenal hired a dud coach is because they held on to Wenger for far too long.
“All forwards are creative in their own way but a playmaker is selfless , he is there to make other players look better and gets his enjoyment of the game through seeing others benefit from his play ..”
Yes but when referring to creative forwards I’m talking about forwards like aguero, mane, Salah, mahrez Messi not goal poachers.
Also debryne, doesn’t really play as a 10 but he was a creative hub for man city
Pierre You don’t seem like an idiot, but you do seem to fail to grasp the concept of relativity. When top 4 is your sole aim, and you are achieving it season after season but not actively trying to take it up a level, then top 4 trophy becomes a joke in a way. Wenger and arsenal had the funds and the means to ramp it up and be challenging for the league and in Europe. However, he was happy JUST get top 4 and we were a joke in Europe. No, because he laid us so low and left… Read more »
*Last season and still doing the same thing this season*
Tee: “If it’s all about money then psg should be walking the CL”
Sorry but you are not correct. Net spend last 5 years across Europe:
1. Manchester City £600.63m
2. Manchester United £484.88m
3. PSG £368.64m
Source: F365 April 2020.
So City have spent nearly double what PSG have.(FYI Arsenal were 7th on the list). Pep is a good manager but not a great one IMO cosidering the resources and talent available to him throughout his career. He would be useless at AFC.
Top 4 in itself is meaningles if not backed up with a title or Champions league success
Re nkethia/Balogun
It’s fans and bloggers that are trying to draw lines between the two. Balogun’s new contract doesn’t depend on whether nkethia stays or not.
Whichever way it goes between the two I just hope and pray we don’t end up with a dud. Cr7/Quarresma comes to mind.
Graham62 “Was that because of Arteta’s natural feel for the game or was it because it was taken out of his hands by fate?” I believe that Arteta has a blue print of how he wanted the game to be played. At one time, he wanted 5-6 players for his system. By luck he came across ESR as the link up player and Saka filling the gap for the attack from the right side. Now the offense is way more balanced than before. He has now a left footed CB and will want a right footed CB who can pass… Read more »
Danny, Wenger seemed to struggle to understand what the average football fan feels about the game. Bottom line is it’s about winning. Apart from the old ‘4th place trophy’ you may remember he said that he’s be happy to finish second every year because it showed consistency. Your average fan would rather win a title every three, four or five years and finish lower than second the rest of the time because nobody bar Wenger is in football to ‘enjoy’ consistency.
Is winning the FA Cup meaningless if not followed by winning the Europa league.
We had a manager in Wenger who settled for second best which is why Arsenal are in such turmoil now.
Andy1886,
It’s subjective. I can also decide to say man city haven’t spent what psg spent for the past 2-3 years. It depends on the period you are considering.
As far as I’m concerned, pep is a world-class coach. No amount of “he hasn’t won’t the ECL for man city” can change this for me.
This former. Chelsea manager (forgotten the name) won it for chelsea and that doesn’t make him a world-class manager. It’s a cup game which depends on run of form.
The league is the better yardstick to determine world-class managers
Andy
That in itself should have been a sackable offence, when your manager comes out with that then there are serious problems.
Unless of course you are merely in football ownership to watch your asset appreciate, in which case Wenger was, at least until the end, the perfect manager.
The stagnation at arsenal while all the other teams caught up and overtook us was criminal.
The tragedy is by refusing to resign Wenger dragged Arsenal down to his level.
Wenger loved arsenal and was by and large a world class coach but imo he sold his soul to the Yanks and stop acknowledgkng the main thing in sport(been competitive and winning trophies) he became stans personal financial adviser and that was when he lost it with the fans.
eddie vs balogun based on efl and pl2
appeances 38 vs 41
goals 28 vs 17
assists 7 vs 6
mins played 2676 vs 2587
mins played per goal assist 76 vs 112
eddie stats are insanely good
He was also extremely stubborn and liked familiarity and sentiment.
Any manager that keeps the same staff around fir 22 years needs to be scrutinised harder. Unless of course he’s winning b2b leagues of course.
And just imagine, 22 years at the 6th biggest/richest club in World football and never winning a SINGLE euro trophy. Imagine it!
London gunner
I don’t think PL2 is comparable to the prem.
Jeffers was a top scorer at one point.
George Graham loved Arsenal Wenger loved himself
Henry19 is 5 years old.
Nice input Kris.
I blame those who sold out arsenal to the kroenkes.
I gave up when he said he didn’t acquire arsenal to win trophies
Danny s
I agree but then shouldn’t balogun stats be even higher then?
Tee – not only City, he couldn’t win it at Bayern either (they won it as soon as he left though). In my view it’s much easier to win the league if you have the best players and the biggest budget – that tells over 38 games even if the manager isn’t the greatest. Great managers however can win games that they shouldn’t win on paper, for example George Graham shouldn’t have won at Anfield in ’89 or against Parma in 1994. Wenger in his first decade shouldn’t have won the title in ’98. Pep won what he did with… Read more »
The quote was
“There are 5 trophies The first is to win the Premier League, the second is to win the Champions League, the third is to qualify for the Champions League, the fourth is to win the FA Cup and the fifth is to win the League Cup.”
Why shouldn’t Wenger have won the title in his second season when he had Bergkamp, Overmars, Anelka, Vieira, Petit and an experienced back four.
Because man u had far better players all round plus their bench. It’s not even debatable our 98 run had much to do with stars aligning for us than anything else
Keown didn’t blindly support Wenger, he was critical of Wenger for discouraging tough tackles in training and letting things slide after the FA Cup final win over Man Utd all those years ago. I liked the way Keown showed up Jenas in that clip i.e. only one of them won stuff and knows what a winning team is. Jenas looked like he was going to cry if it carried on.
Pierrepont
You missed out your favourite trophy: the Community Shield.
I don’t get the impression Henry19 is on top of things today.. Maybe needs to have his morning nap or something.
Raulishuss
Beating Man Utd at Old Trafford showed we were worthy league and Cup winners that season.
Eddie
International goals
Played 31
Goals 31
Balogun
International goals
Played 19
Goals 5
Does anymore need to be said …Eddie is a goalscorer and will always score goals whatever level he plays at.
Balogun is potentially an exceptional player, a different striker to Eddie , but very good nonetheless.
Andy1886,
I know but I don’t agree it’s easy to win the league. Zidane was busy trashing teams in the CL and win it 3times but couldn’t displace Barcelona in the league. You need to be on too of your game over 38 matches to win the league whereas you need a run of form to win the CL – total of 13 matches
Is Eddie still ‘our top goal scorer’?
Asking for a friend who really needs a win after the devastating news broke that his lover is imminently moving to Turkey.
Winning la liga was a cakewalk for Barcelona with only maybe 2 or 3 games where they needed to be in their toes.
Danny+S. 9.53.
Im laminating and framing that.
ES “It is inconceivable that Arsenal will pay the full wages until June if he moves to Fernabhace this month. My guess is that Ozil will take a wage cut if he moves to Turkey and maybe Arsenal will make up the difference for remainder of contract.” Based on the ‘reports,’ that doesn’t sound to be the case. Ozil’s agent’s position is that Arsenal must both pay out the whole remaining contract and let him leave. Arsenal’s position I’m sure, as you say, is to pay the remainder above Ozil’s wages at his new club to make up the difference.… Read more »
Pierre
Jeffers 16 u21 appearances, 13 goals.
Senior league level 235 apps, 40 goals.
Danny s
“Pierre
You don’t seem like an idiot,”
But you do , snide Jamie’s here now so you now have someone who’s on your level…
Pierre
You can’t disagree with anything I wrote regarding Wenger so you’re reply is thankfully short.
Martin Keown claims legendary manager Arsene Wenger would be the perfect choice to take over as Arsenal chaiman. Last week, Sir Chips Keswick retired as chairman of Arsenal after spending 15 years on the board, revealing he always planned to step down at the end of the season but brought his decision forward due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Gunners now need to look at who will succeed Keswick as chairman, but Keown insists Arsenal should look no further than former manager Wenger. Keown told talkSPORT: ‘Sir Chips is somebody who had been there for 15 years, took over from… Read more »
https://www-express-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1381359/Arsenal-Mikel-Arteta-Unai-Emery-transfer-latest-update-Nicolas-Pepe-SNT/amp?amp_js_v=a6&_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQFKAGwASA%3D#csi=1&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&_tf=From%20%251%24s&share=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.express.co.uk%2Fsport%2Ffootball%2F1381359%2FArsenal-Mikel-Arteta-Unai-Emery-transfer-latest-update-Nicolas-Pepe-SNT
Good morning RedMarbleDialSqCalypso.
Pierre I thought you’d jump at that one. Top 4, specifically post Wenger, has become far more difficult to attain than when there were basically only 4 teams strong enough to achieve those lofty heights. Remember when it used to be just MU and Arsenal. Then Chelski and MC came into the equation. Then Liverpool, Spuds and Leicester. Now we have Everton, Wolves, West Ham, Villa, Southampton all competing to a much higher level. We regressed. I would take winning the Europa League over winning the FA Cup. How did you feel in 1994 when we won the CWC? A… Read more »
London gunnerJanuary 9, 2021 10:32:30
Danny s
I agree but then shouldn’t balogun stats be even higher then?
Anyone got an answer for this?
Henry19
No it wouldn’t.
100% no to him being chairman.
Doublethink
Being a striker doesn’t always equate to being an out and out goal scorer.
Also, that should mean that every top striker should be a record goal scorer for their U21 national side no?
Also, Eddie is what nearly 22 and still playing u21…..
Doublethink “Anyone got an answer for this?” What we have , in typical Le Grove fashion, is the usual suspects failing to understand that it is possible to have 2 prolific young strikers coming through, and it is possible to rate both very highly. Neither striker has been given a chance to flourish in a well balanced attack that is playing with confidence, when that happens , that will be the time to judge and not before. A striker feeding off scraps will struggle to impress as Lacazette and Aubameyang discovered when we were playing without a playmaker. I’m hoping… Read more »
Danny S
I’m in a conflicted in that balogun from the eye test aka actually seeing him play compared to eddie he looks much better.
But Eddie’s stats show he was performing to a much more consistent level and its not just the goals he is also setting people up.
I know its PL2 but let’s be honest that’s the metric to judge young players how many PL clubs have a starting striker who is 21?
pierre I have been very critical of Eddie as he isnt an athletically pleasing player. However his stats are fucking amazing and people can argue its PL2 but that’s sometimes the yardstick you have to measure youth players. I think we should give equal time between eddie and balogun for the cup runs so we can directly assess their impact in premier league level football and rotate them into PL games near the end. My main issue is that balogun isn’t getting the opportunities and even though his stats are worse than Eddie’s what if he does gnabry and explodes… Read more »