Thursday Arsenal round-up

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Oh man, Open Mic with Martin Odegaard was good, right? What a leader. I love him.

Jan Fjortoft, who helped bring him into the Norwegian squad at 15 years old, spoke on ESPN and said he thinks the Arsenal project would be good for the player long-term. Jan is a big deal on the Norwegian futbol scene, he has good relationships with the kids, one would hope his suggestions was laced with some knowledge.

The player himself had an injury scare during the break, but the Norway manager says he’ll be fine for Thursday’s game… international breaks, in a season like this, are beyond the pale.

Arsenal players left at home have been training with Arteta and his staff. Gabi Martinelli scored a banger the club put on the .com. Hopefully a bigger chance for him to shine after the break.

Also great that our African players are not going to be as heavily involved for their countries. Thomas Partey and a focused Auba are going to be HUGELY important to any success we have post-break.

Welcoming Liverpool to The Emirates right after the break is not what I would call a sexy thought… however, it’s at home, Klopp won’t have much time with his players, we should at the very least be making the game an unenjoyable experience. Gonna be scenes when we beat them and people say they’re not a big 6 side.

We’re being linked with Aaron Ramsey who had a pretty fucking drab experience in Turin. He’s played 980 minutes this season, scored 2 goals, and made 5 assists. £400k a week for 6 assists and 7 goals in 2 seasons. He’s had 4 injuries this season already. There is absolutely no sense in bringing him back into the club, I’d prefer to sign Santi Cazorla. But really, I’d rather look to the future, than rely on players who were part of the Arsenal on the way down.

Just gonna be a short one today because that is the way we’ll be rolling through the international break.

Make sure you say your prayers for the player’s health, then listen to the evergreen podcast I did with Touchy Gooners.

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Cazorla

Haha love that Pierre!

Wrong opinions a plenty a plenty in these parts.

La croqueta

How many top teams in Europe have LOANS as key players in their starting eleven?

Cazorla

Mbappe went to PSG on loan

Habesha Gooner

Well it is not surprising that even odegaard thinks Martinelli is a superstar in waiting. Players with good attitudes can’t shut up about him. I remember Tierney saying he was shocked at the level of performance of Martinelli in training and he felt he needed to be at that level to play for Arsenal. And Tierney is a warrior himself. If by the start of next season Martinelli doesn’t start to play regularly, then Arteta is a shithead. Everyone can see the talent. Sell Lacazette and put Martinelli as a competition for Auba. He will definitely oust him as the… Read more »

Sid

‘If by the start of next season Martinelli doesn’t start to play regularly, then Arteta is a shithead. ‘

You can take this to the bank!

Moray

“How many top teams in Europe have LOANS as key players in their starting eleven?”

We live in strange times.

The biggest argument against is that we are padding the guy’s transfer fees or else fluffing him for his paymasters. I just hope we are behaving like adults in the transfer and contract market now.

S Asoa

Sid

Having ostracised quite a few young talents ( relenting only to extent of saving his bacon ), Arteta already a bit of an arsehole. From there shithead is not a long way off

Tony

Pierre
How do those stats look with AW and GG for both their first 514 games?

Pierre

Habesha Stop getting your knickers in a twist over Martinelli, he’s done nothing this season during his time on the pitch so it’s understandable why Arteta isn’t starting him 3 goals in his previous 29 games hardly makes him “player of this century” does it. I’m sure if Martinelli had shown something special coming back from his injury then we would be seeing more of him.. .Martinelli will get his chance and when he gets it,he need to take it. If he is as good as being touted by so many experts then one of 2 things will happen .… Read more »

Dream10

Pierre

I think you’re underestimating Martinelli. He looks to have the skill set to be a very good goal scorer. Might not happen for him under Arteta or even at Arsenal though.

Karsa

I’m confident that Martinelli will be a success at Arsenal for many years to come.

Pierre

Dream10 “I think you’re underestimating Martinelli. He looks to have the skill set to be a very good goal scorer” I would put him at a similar level to Theo Walcott , who scored or assisted over 16 goals a season on average for Arsenal predominantly from out wide , despite suffering his fair share of long term injuries. Also worth remembering that walcott didn’t have the Europa league to pad up his stats, only champions league. If Martinelli can better that during his Arsenal career, he would have done very well . I can see his career taking a… Read more »

Pierre
Captain Tierney

‘The 2 players that Odegaard chose as his top playets from the Arsenal side were Aubameyang and and Luiz, who many on Le Grove would be happy to see the back off.snd regard as surplus to requirements.’ Clutching at straws here. Watch the interview, Odegaard says he cant choose anyone of the present because there is so much quality in the team and then namedrops the captain and the most senior guy as a show of respect. But when asked about the future he speaks of Martinelli in glowing terms. But ofc if he agrees with Klopp, Emery, Ronaldinho, R9,… Read more »

Sid

The played with RVP, Fab not suprising his output deteriorated as Arsenals between the lines creators disappeared
Martinelli played in a team that had Luiz as its top passer

Sid

*Theo

Tom

Pierre Actually a 18/19 year old Walcott didn’t do any better than Martinelli has and he played under a stable regime in a nailed on top four side, and under a manager many still considered top three in the league. While Martinelli plays in a system only a few can accurately describe under a novice manager still trying to find his feet. Considering Martinelli had to adapt coming over from the fourth tier of Brazilian football, I’d say he might be well ahead of Walcott given ample opportunity. Walcott at 18 had no CL or PL goals. His first CL… Read more »

Nelson

Just turn on my PC and saw Norway’s #10 with the arm band still running around.

Nelson

OH! They are losing 1 – 0

Pierre

Tom
” While Martinelli plays in a system only a few can accurately describe under a novice manager still trying to find his feet.”

Smith Rowe and Saka have managed to succeed playing under a novice manager trying to find his feet .

Let’s hope Martinelli can at least equal Theo’s goals and assists…some of his strikes were of the highest quality, I’m sure you will agree.

Wiglaf

Martinelli is 19
At 19 Walcott has an international hat trick at Croatia under his belt and was one of the most feared forwards in Europe
The only player in world football who cashley couldn’t deal with and that includes both Messi and Ronaldo
And was one player who Barcelona singled out as the one they feared the most as he often terrorised their left back.

Wiglaf

Pierre

I’m sure I read that Theo scored or assisted in 2/3 games he started for arsenal.
Some of his strikes were top quality
He should have been a striker. Wenger hung the kid out to dry really. He was great in a 3-0 drubbing of chelsea as the Lone striker and around that time we looked fantastic with him leading the line and for some inexplicable reason, Wenger shelved the idea.
Walcott and RvP mad great music together
Him and Giroud together would have been great too

Wiglaf

Walcott’s first goal for arsenal was as a 17 year old in the league cup final was it not?

Pierre

Wiglaf
I agree , when he played as striker we were a better team .
it was man united 3-0, leicester 5-2 and i think it was munich 2-0 , and then Wenger changed it back and put him out wide.
Also started up top v villa in the cup final .

Wiglaf

2 strikes in the 5-2 comeback v spurs forgot that
Scored v Barca chelsea United city
Scored in another cup final win vs Villa
Over 100 goals from right wing for a half injured shit player with no football Brain isn’t bad

The fella gets a bad rap from these fuckers claiming to be gooners

Wiglaf

Pierre
You’re right
It was United during that spell
His movement and running behind pulled markers away and allowed ozil and sanchez to devastate

Pierre

Wiglaf
Theo has shown this season that played more centrally, he can do damage…

Pierre

Wenger was a fool to play Giroud instead of theo in the strikers role…

Pierre

So when i compare Martinelli to walcott , it is a compliment

Kendo

Pierre

You need a spell in the bin for your own good.

Wiglaf

Pierre

Too right it’s a compliment
His mins-goal ratio is better than both Hazarrs and Gareth bale in the premier league too!!
Not bad at all.

Wiglaf

Pedro doesn’t like Theo cos he’s a nice boy. Yet he was a very useful player and I’d have him all day over Aubameyang. All day.

Wiglaf

https://www.footballparadise.com/theo-walcott-the-story-of-the-prodigy/

Lovely little article on Theo. Spot on with the duality comment. He was always better as close to goal as poss wit little time to contemplate fucking it up

englandsbest

What makes this international break even less bearable is that the games are qualifiers for WC finals in Qatar, probably the most unsavoury of FIFA decisions – and they have made plenty.

Mid-winter madness, I still can’t credit it will happen. Maybe the players will go on strike because of its human rights record.

G

Theo rather then Auba… no chance

G

And Theo achieving more than Martenelli at 19 doesn’t make him a better player

Tom

No one’s tearing down Walcott or his Arsenal numbers which speak for themselves.

Martinelli’s numbers in his first Arsenal season just look more impressive than Walcott’s from the 2007/08 season ( his Arsenal second) when he too was eighteen.

Someone needs to take a chill pill.

China1

Sid the school I went to was very average but had largely reasonable teachers with good and bad exceptions. The content we learnt was standard curriculum. The school facilities were average. It was conducive enough for a kid to be able to comfortably do ok in most subjects There’s a limit to what more the school system can do for you beyond that. A mind set towards a willingness to study and learn can’t be forced on kids by the school system, it needs to be just as well fostered by the family of the kids. I’m from a council… Read more »

Tom

Both Saka and Smith Rowe came through Arsenal academy.
Call me weird but that’s a much easier way of natural progression than getting up rooted from the fourth tier obscurity half way around the world.
Not many Portuguese language speakers on Arsenal I take it..,

Bob N16

Walcott did not have enough football intelligence. He didn’t instinctively know when to make a run. With his natural abilities, he could have been so much more effective.

Martinelli, even though Pierre seems to consider him as a head- down merchant, is much more of a street smart type player than Walcott ever was.

The frustration I felt with Walcott’s decision-making doesn’t feel to me that it will be replicated by Martinelli.

Bob N16

This idea that Martinelli came from a fourth tier Brazilian team is somewhat superficial. He was with Corinthians before he chose to go with his family to the ‘fourth tier.’. He was always better than that.

China1

Sid re the keep spreading the love – man if you got this service you’d be annoyed too haha it’s so bad in Tianjin sometimes One of the other common times I needed Chinese for was so many dog owners walk their dogs off lead and won’t even react or say anything when their dog would run up and start rolling around fighting with my dog (mine is on lead) for several minutes at a time. I once got bitten by a dog walking by myself through my neighborhood and the owner didn’t even say anything and just looked a… Read more »

China1

Martinelli also has trials with man Utd FYI

He wasn’t quite as under the radar a prospect as gets made out. Corinthians and Man Utd trials ain’t a joke for a teenager

Tom

Whether Martinelli was a total unknown ( for me it was) is irrelevant.
What’s relevant is that Arsenal paid for him in 2018 about half ( roughly) what they paid for Walcott in 2006, and that he hit the ground running with a very impressive first season.

This isn’t to say he’s gonna be a superstar amd better than Walcott was.

This international football is such a bore.
Only watch it for Arsenal players on display but still.
Jota with two goals for Portugal … how big a miss was his Liverpool absence for them

Samesong

Loved Theo although he could be frustrating at times. Noone can question his commitment. He loved Arsenal.

Samesong

I haven’t watched one international. Can’t stand them.

Cazorla

Any Irish on here? That’s one national team you couldn’t pay me to watch. Losing against Luxembourg has to be a new low even for that crock of shit.

Rich

Martinelli going to the 4th tier in order to play football Is really smart

The cream will always rise to the top

Young players shouldn’t be scared of dropping down the leagues in order to play, rather than rotting in the youth teams and on the substitutes bench

For young players to progress, they need to start playing competitive football

Tony

Don/wiglaf (poster who has more names than Companies house) “Pedro doesn’t like Theo cos he’s a nice boy. Yet he was a very useful player and I’d have him all day over Aubameyang. All day.” This from Don & similar from Pierre who accuses posters of not understanding football. Don do you need directions back to your cave? Mrs Don is having problems with the fire for your saber tooth tiger steak. Your little Donlets need more racist teachings from you who also need far better explanations regarding your assertions that the world is flat and that dragging knuckles on… Read more »

Gonsterous

Guess who are other head down merchants. Ronaldo, messi, hazard, mpabbe, the list goes on. The down side isn’t being a heads down merchant, the down side is knowing when to look up and play the killer pass. Theo, though a terrific striker never knew when to pass, he always went on great runs with very little end product. I loved theo when he was here but his downfall was Wenger, who never pulled him to one side and showed him what to do, Wenger mostly just relied on his players to make mistakes till they learned, some players never… Read more »

Cazorla

Tony what the fuck was that? Are you having a breakdown? I don’t want a response. It was a rhetorical question.

Tony

Cazola ” I don’t want a response. It was a rhetorical question.” Rhetorical answer., then. Thanks for your concern. No, not a break down. Not sure if you’ve been around for the history of Don/wiglaf and all his many monikers, but it’s never pleasant and his monikers always end up in the bin from abusive rants at posters that normally include his racism and political views. When Don reappears it’s never a good thing for this blog. Pierre’s fine & harmless we have always poked fun and often barbs at each other and mostly disagreed with each other being in… Read more »

Cazorla

Tony unless you’re called Pedro, you should probably just wind your neck in. People don’t come to read your psychoanalysis of other posters but that that might just be me.

Pleased you’re not having a break down but I’d probably put your phone down.

Sid

‘Your little Donlets need more racist teachings’

This was entertaining for me

China1

Sid that algorithm was a one time issue not the reason why the British have for hundreds of years not bothered to learn foreign languages. It’s completely unrelated As for those Pisa rankings – there are 196 countries in the world. How do we manage to be as high as 15th in Science if our system is so bad? Is our science curriculum and approach really much different from other subjects? Not really. The graph on the table also shows our overall score is way higher than the OECD average. How are we outperforming so many countries on average, yet… Read more »

Dream10

Odegaard is a talented player. But, our priority should be a high quality creative player who plays higher up.

Sid

Majority of the 196 countries have copy pasted/replicated the British education GCSE system, meaning 15th is top of a poor system.
The algorithim is not a one time issue, do you think kids that go to eton are more intelligent than kids from your neighbourhood?

China1

I don’t know how Eton membership is determined. If there is an entry test and the kids who get in would typically score higher than my old classmates would’ve then they might well be more academic (I’m wary to use intelligent because there are different facets to intelligence)

Also that Pisa ranking has no connection to learning foreign languages. It’s about reading in your own language and problem solving – something which is very different from doing so in a foreign language in which scenario the British would likely be one of the poorest performers

China1

Test scores in general tho are often bunk Like at university I had a friend who was hands down better than me in every single aspect of our course and he also worked 5 times harder than me. In tests he used to let the pressure get to him tho whereas when I panicked in the week leading up to a test and started cramming I’d go into a test very calmly with a photographic memory, boss the test walk out the room and forget almost everything immediately I outperformed him in almost every single test, often substantially, over a… Read more »

Sid

One is likely to be multilingual having gone to Eton and the like than having gone to UTC Swindon

Pierre

Deeam10 “Odegaard is a talented player. But, our priority should be a high quality creative player who plays higher up.” I would go for Neto of wolves to play on the left , with saka on the right and smith rowe/odegaard in the hole in a 4-2-3-1 Alternately, play a 4-1-4-1 with Partey as the holding midfielder with Odegaard and smith rowe ahead of Partey , Neto on the left, saka on the right and pick anyone from Aubameyang, Martinelli, Nketiah, Lacazette, Balogun as the striker.. That team would score bundles of goals and would bring back the excitement of… Read more »

China1

Haha sid I agree. But you don’t need to be from an elite wealthy background to learn the foundation of a second language at senior school. It’s not rocket science and we spend more than enough hours on it

Sid

The pass by Song to fab, thats why we need a CM badly

chris

Seems like Odegaard’s future is tied to whether or not Zidane stays at Real Madrid. Best scenario for us would be another loan with a first option to buy at the end of the next season, allows us to use funds elsewhere in the summer.

Side note – Anybody else watched Seaspiracy? Anyone still eating fish who has a choice, please stop.

Rich

Sid The more educated people are by the system, the more stupid they are. There’s a big different between people who can take in information and then remember it, and people who have the common sense to question the information they’re being fed The reason private schools do better than public schools, is if the private education sector don’t produce good results, they go bankrupt If the public education sector don’t reduce good results, everyone gets paid the same anyway, so there’s no internal pressure to improve, because it’s state funded Then instead of the public sector trying to learn… Read more »

Rich

Pierre

If we could sign Neto + Odegaard this summer, and renew Saka + Smith-Rowe on 5 year deals, and also tie down Balogun

Then somehow sell Lacazette, Willian, Nketiah, and loan out Nelson

We’d have a forward line that would be the envy of the football world

Odegaard, Smith-Rowe
Saka, Pepe
Neto, Martinelli
Aubameyang, Balogun

Neto looks like the real deal, as does Odegaard

Bob N16

Talking shite Rich. The main reasons for fee paying schools achieving higher results is selection in the intake and small class sizes. Believing that somehow the state system should ‘copy’ private schools would require an enormous amount of funding which someone of your political persuasion might find awkward. To illustrate, a friend of mine has just taken a job teaching Economics at A level in a private school, he will be paid the same salary working one day less a week. He’s leaving class sizes of 18 to now teach classes of 4. The new classes get six lessons a… Read more »

Dream10

Pierre

Pedro Neto is a quality young player. He has pace and runs in behind. He’s receiving interest from Juventus, Man City and Man Utd. Apparently Juventus tried to sign him last summer, but they wanted to pay less cash up front and more incentives. It will probably take a Partey sized fee to sign him. He’s worth it though.
Jadon Sancho is the dream signing, but he’s the type of player that can choose his destination

Kroenkephobe

Rich

You are to education policy what Harold Shipman was to patient care. About as awful as your ideological buddy Gavin Williamson. Don’t you have a filter for this type of bollockry?

Sid

@Rich, Do you realise its in interests of Feudalism/Empire/bureacracy to provide bad public education,
In your own words
‘the only people who benefit from big centralised bureaucracies, are the bureaucrats themselves’

London gunner

I am no fan of the left but this rich bloke sounds like an extreme right wing loon. If it was up to him we would have an American like system where going to uni would occur huge life long debt and people wouldn’t be able to receive health care for free instead they’d have to pay 1000s for an an AE visit because the free market Is always right 😉 even when it’s rigged by the boys at the top. I believe in meritocracy and no state hand outs but we need an even playing field from the start.… Read more »

Rich

Bob N16 The reason class sizes are too big, is mass uncontrolled immigration We’re a population of 66 million, that until very recently, had an open door policy to a population to over 520 million people Our population has been going up by over 500,000 p/a, and over 65% of that has been coming from immigration, that’s the city the size of Southampton x 2, every single year Nowhere else in the world outside the EU, do people move to a country without requiring a visa, and instantly receive free education for their children, and also go to the front… Read more »

Tom

“Side note – Anybody else watched Seaspiracy? Anyone still eating fish who has a choice, please stop.“

Chris , I’d like to say shocking but it really wasn’t. None of it.
Mostly just sad how stupid we are when it comes to the awful things we do to each other, the animals, and the planet.

Sid

Rich is a prime example of a bad education system

Im telling you for free!

Rich

“People like Rich who were born into wealth + privileged”

I grew up on a council estate

China1

But rich it’s easier said than done for public schools when actually they’re quite heavily constrained by what they can and can’t do according the national system

Also it’s easy to say drag the public schools up to private levels but how are they supposed to compete for the best teachers when they can provide neither the salary, prestige or environment of a high end private school? In that free market you always like so much it’s far easier for the best private schools to remain the best than it is for your average local school to catch them

China1

As well a lot of private schools won’t even take many kids who don’t fit certain academic criteria Really I’m not sure it’s that difficult for a school that already has prestige, a wonderful environment, set in a wealthy location, funds for top end teachers and the ability to restrict entry access to only ‘suitable’ kids. It’s a self fulfilling prophesy that they will do well. It’s like comparing arsenal with Sheffield Utd. It’s not impossible for them to finish above us but it’s not only an enormous ask but to do it repeatedly over any extended length of time… Read more »

Rich

The reason university is so expensive is that the left promised to give “free” education in universities Firstly…. there’s no such thing as free education, so why should someone who chooses to leave school at 18 and get a job, pay increased taxes for people who choose to get a qualification or trade? If you choose to go to university, you should pay for the benefit of that education, not expect others to pick up the tab, it’s your choice, nobody else’s If people aren’t paying for their education, they could do 3 out of a 4 year degree, decide… Read more »

Sid

@China, seems like Rich is one of the kids, you were talking about from your council housing

You can take this to the bank!

Kroenkephobe

Rich
Can you hear the sound of horses coming?

Yes, it’s me getting ready to drive a coach and horses through your mean, daily mail inspired thicko bullshit about almost anything under the sun except Arsenal which is the point of this forum. You’re a cretin that does the site a huge disservice by being provocative and divisive.

Nah, hold the horses I just can’t be bothered.

Tom

Rich is just another middle aged, middle class white guy who had been convinced “welfare queens “ are the main reason for his financial struggles and not the tax dodging wealthy corporations.

Bob N16

Rich,

Your fixed mindset doesn’t encourage debate.

Bob N16

Tom, don’t forget to blame the immigrants for class sizes etc

China1

Rich the vast majority of uni students are paying back their student loans over time. Loan being the key word here. As a former student I can assure you the £24k of debt didn’t get forgiven by the government…

China1

Also rich that’s not how it works where you have an infinite right to keep getting student loans from the government. It’s simply false I did a combined bachelors and masters course and I have to pay back every penny of the 24k over time with the repayment size each month dependent on how much I earn and the country I live in. Secondly I actually enrolled on an MBA course about 3 years ago when I was planning to move back, and I was going to need to pay the tuition in full by myself up front because I’m… Read more »

chris

Tom

Re Seaspiracy, I knew the fishing world wasn’t pretty but didn’t imagine it would be as awful as the documentary exposed. Fair play to the filmmakers risking their lives in Thailand to get this all out in the public eye. It’s all in their, government corruption, environmental and cruelty to animals and ourselves. We have such a long way to go as a species it almost makes you wonder whether we will ever be any better.

Words+on+a+Blog

Rich/China

The only thing you can get for free these days is advice from Sid.

You can take that to the bank.

Rich

I see I’ve triggered the snowflakes……

Tom, did you just assume my gender?…..

S Asoa

Problem with Arsenal is having skint Kroenke as the owner every purchase of players looks like a painful exercise wherein one is committing the entire life savings and it is scary.
In January, Oedegard was valued by Madrid at 30 mil. If we were smart, Real would have sold the kid for 35-40 mil. Next season Oedegard would go only upwards to 50 mil, based on his performance at the Emirates. Skint ends up paying twice as much.

Rich

China1 The point I was making about “free” education, was the comment London Gunner made about people picking up big debts for education Going to university shouldn’t be free like many of the left claim, because there’s no such thing as free, (apart from Sid’s advice” and it’s unfair for people who choose to go to university, to pass the costs onto people who don’t go to university, because that’s the very definition of an unequal system The reason that education prices have risen exponentially above inflation, is that as soon as the government offered loans, and there was profit… Read more »

Cazorla

Rich why is it that people are so offended by an opinion?

It’s honestly embarrassing, it’s not like you’re pissing on anyone’s kids.

Dissenter

Krienkephobe vs Rich is growing to become another legrove classic.

Kendo

Why do the rich always plead poverty, there is plenty of money available to fund all public services and more.

Rich

Cazorla Lefties have an burning desire to be constantly offended Because If they can highlight to someone that they know something is wrong Then they can also feed their own vanity at the same time, by portraying themselves as virtuous If they can also point out how evil someone else’s opinions are, in comparison to their own, they can highlight their virtues even further Which gives them twice the dopamine hit Virtue and vanity are best of mates These people are rarely offended, they just like to feign offence, because it makes them feel good Take Tom, our resident non… Read more »

Sid

This council estate guy is intelligent, the world would be a better place if his public school had as much resources as Eton

Bob N16

Rich,

Your position appears weaker when rather than debate, you choose to accuse those who disagree with your viewpoint as being too easily offended. It suggests that you’d rather make it about name-calling than about reasoned arguments. Creating a ‘binary’ discussion feels characteristic of a certain mentality.

Rich

Bob

I don’t accuse people of being too easily offended

I accuse them of feigning offence, in order to highlight their
own virtues, and feed their own vanity

Do try to keep up….