THE EUROS TONIGHT LADS AND LADETTES.
Can’t wait.
It’s nice that to commemorate the Italians and Turks game that we’re being heavily linked to Serie A players.
Locatelli as a Granit replacement?
Barella as tasty number 8 with bite to his game?
RODRIGO DE PAUL FOR CHANCE CREATION, BALL PROGRESSION AND BIG ENERGY VIBES?
Those are three very sexy links. I read someone say we go from ass to class and I am absolutely here for that sort of poetic internet prose.
Rodrigo De Paul is 27, repped by Mino Raiola, and probably going to Atleti… but his profile is exactly what we’re looking for. He’s tasked with progressing the ball from deep at Udinese. He creates a lot, scores a lot, has an energy profile that has attracted Bielsa. Give me that sort of talent over some of the one-paced merchants we’ve been looking to replace all day long.
This is an excellent scouting report if you’d like to read up further on him.
Locatelli is exciting because he’s handsome and Italian. He ticks all the Xhaka RPL boxes from a stats perspective. He’s at a small club in Italy, Sassuolo, so should be attainable. Though I do wonder how the P&P merchants are rationalising him more than the other slow deep-lying midfielders because he’s very one-paced even in Italy. I guess Italians just hit differently?
I’m not sure how much is actually going on, because I know Arteta is out of the building on holiday and it seems that Edu is still away because he keeps posting to his public IG stories. Breath though. Everyone is entitled to a holiday. BUT WHERE ARE THE SIGNINGS BECAUSE THE EUROS HAVE ALREADY STARTED. Breath. It’ll be fine. IT WILL BE FINE.
Tyler Adams feels like a dead cert now.
Agent Smith Rowe is on the blower as we speak luring him over to the mighty Arsenal. Journos are saying he’s a hot target of clubs with Champions League football. I’d say WE ARE ARSENAL, but Emi B just binned us off to play cards with John Terry, so who knows how the Arsenal pull is working at the moment.
More journos are talking up the prospect of Lokonga, a great talent, but not for the first team I’d imagine.
Then there’s the story of Eddie getting a new deal. Not quite sure how this one is working. If he’s getting a new deal, you would imagine it’ll be because Huss Fahmy put an option of an extension in his last deal so we could preserve his value… because I don’t see a world where he’d sign another year knowing how far he is down the pecking order to protect Arsenal’s right to sell him?
Granit Xhaka is about to move out of the club for £18m or so… if you spent the last 5 seasons calling him the worst player in the world, I can’t have you moaning about the fee in a post-pandy world (pandy is ok to use, right?).
On the note of moaning, word for the comments. I let a whole bunch of people back on a few weeks ago and predictably, the misery is back and the conversation is starting from a low point. People need to pick it up. Misery breeds misery and stops interesting conversation flowing like we have a few months back. If perpetrators don’t pick it up, I’ll do a sweep again.
On that note, I bid you farewell, enjoy the Euros, it’ll be fun!
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Northbanker
That is fair enough.
Are you not a bit worried that Bissouma is very similar to Partey is the only thing? For what he would cost.
This biss bloke may or may not be good…
But it’s an awful lot of money init …
Wengereagle The one thing that goes against Pepe is the price tag. Even in a crappy season for him he has still managed to out score every one. I don’t agree that he has been found out at this level either. What I saw is him struggling when he was given a stop start minutes and sub appearances. When he was given a proper run I saw a player who can do some real damage. The stats also back me up on this besides what I see. The coaches utilization of him has been poor too. I guess we can… Read more »
“A little table based over 14 seasons-really versus your 22 game sample period?”
I’m getting a serious Dr Strangelove urge.
Great performance from Italy there. Very well organised.
True that on one tournament wonders.
Remember Pilar at Euro 2012? Or Baros at 2004?
Pedro they controlled the game from the first minute to the last
Anyway sorry for the snap judgements WE – i know you like to take a more measured view:
WengerEagleJune 11, 2021 21:31:25
Calhanoglu has been anonymous.
Milan Baros. Looked so good!
PHD, full season table, Arsenal finished 6 points off the Champions League winners after beating them twice and we finished 8 points off the Champions with the best manager in the world.
Don’t even worry about the form table since Christmas. When you add the context of the league, Rich is entirely right about Arsenal and where we’re going.
Not a bad opener – usually its a total bore. Italy wil have a nose bleed starting well
Impressive from Italy. They played better than I thought and I thought they are in top 4 of the best teams.
Dark horse Turkey prediction that some made looks shaky at the moment.
Mr Serge, so much quality. Italy are always an underdog before they go and win it.
Habesha Perez had one good season before we signed him, literally one. By age 28. Before that he was average in Greece and Ukraine. Whatever you think of Berardi, he is 26 and has put in multiple very high level seasons in Serie A now. He has been on the radar since his early 20s. It is a poor comparison other than the fact that they are both very lefty dominant. We will agree to disagree about Pepe because that sample size you talk about is incredibly small at the end of the season. His numbers in 2 seasons here… Read more »
On paper it has to be France or Belgium – but if de Bruyne not fit then that wil seriously weaken them. England possibly 3rd favourite
Pedro June 11, 2021 21:55:53 PHD, full season table, Arsenal finished 6 points off the Champions League winners after beating them twice and we finished 8 points off the Champions with the best manager in the world.Don’t even worry about the form table since Christmas. When you add the context of the league, Rich is entirely right about Arsenal and where we’re going. Pedro, this is embarrassing. Let’s just call a spade a spade. We have no European football and we had a shit season. All anyone that defends Arteta must be based on their faith in what he will… Read more »
Turkey were very limited.
Italy done what they had to do.
I think in future games against better teams Italy may be vulnerable down their left flank.
“full season table, ”
But I just tore that up and through it away for my new Boxing day to May table? I can’t keep up with this.
Pedro,
Also behind Brendan, Moyes, 2 managers of Spuds and 2 managers of Chavs or that don’t matter?
8th place finish is what the facts are.
25 pts from 1st place.
EPL season over by November.
Facts!
Italy looked good but did Turkey’s abject performance flatter them?
Northbanker
He was anonymous but that comment was referring to his play tonight, not as an overall estimation of him.
Not sure your point here, I will ask you again do you not worry that Bissouma and Partey are very similar kind of players?
Anguissa can likely be got for a good bit cheaper if we are going that route.
Leicester are eyeing Bissouma as a replacement for Ndidi which tells you the type of player they see him as. Be a bit of a concern that he’d land here and there’s some expectation that he’s some expansive CM.
If that Calhanoglu performance is a regular evening for him then keep him the fuck away from Arsenal. A player lauded for his contributions but seemingly very little ability to impose his will on 90 mins – bargain bucket Bruno Fernandes. We’ve more than enough ‘finishing touch’ types.
England are 12 -1. to win Euros
So for anyone who doesn’t understand betting, if you bet £10 on England to win it, then you lose £10
raptora
“Dark horse Turkey prediction that some made looks shaky at the moment.”
I think this dark horse is lost in the night.
Dark donkey.
R.S.P.C.Arsenal
Don’t get sucked in by some two bob playing a couple of good games in a shop window .
Don’t say thst Edu in case he has an itch to feel “smart” with buying a dud Euros player with a one off glorious moment of football (a player like Poborsky if someone remembers him)
“So for anyone who doesn’t understand betting, if you bet £10 on England to win it, then you lose £10”
That’s funny! On the bright side can I put a tenner on Southgate to take over at the Spud’s? That’s got to be worth some serious laughs.
England will be the most politically correct side in the tournament.
The heart swells with pride.
WE – mate – I’m just winding you up – i have no point really. No I wouldn’t worry as i don’t think they are. I do think they’d make a great partnership.
That said, we’re not buying him – we’ll get Neves and that will be shopping over unless we can get Lokonga for 15m.
W.E.
Always liked Mancini, his work at Man City was very underrated.
He was the one who started off their cycle of glory with their first EPL win. This definitively counts for something.
Where you seeing 12/1?
6/1 is price on majority of books. Which is funny.
David Ornstein just now:
“Arsenal preparing move for Brighton defender Ben White. No club-to-club contact yet but expected in due course. Could take ~£40-50m — unlikely to be insurmountable for #AFC.”
Don’t get that move without serious outgoings.
Haha another big money CB signing, how many is that now.
CC, outgoings from our collection of centre backs you mean? Or just in general?
Great – so we need midfielders and we buy another CB
Northbanker
Ha it is all moot anyway isn’t it, Arteta to disappoint us is all that is guaranteed.
Arteta seems to have a fetish for stockpiling centre halves.
Raptora, thankfully the world is a little more nuanced than the way you want to determine things.
The real world doesn’t work off one data point.
If Arsenal spend £50 million on a CB this summer then Arteta’s a top level manager.
Oh my god that’s some insane money for a young CB.
White’s a good player but you’d have to think that we have Holding and Chambers as RCBs with Saliba supposedly maturing to replace and surpass them,
Yes we need 6 more CB’s to form a proper wall.. but does that mean we have to keep Bellerin to lay down on the pitch behind it.? Very under rated ground hugger.
Can’t stand Djoko I’d rather change the channel
raptora
At least we don’t have a potential world class young CB on the books who we paid £27 million for 2 years ago who’s never kicked a ball for us.
TR7
Djokovic breaks! In 4! 😉
lol Arteta wants a team of CBs that defend on their own goal line all match.
Must have that defensive security.
Wengereagle Fair enough on the Perez comparison. It might have been a lazy one. But him being rejected by Juve and being a late bloomer makes me think he can’t cut it at the top level. Maybe needs another shot but I see players like this all the time. A team suits them and they look good. He is a decent player. I also have reservations about numbers in a league where Miki is smashing it. Most of the top scorers have failed in the premier league. And for that reason I don’t think he would be as good as… Read more »
I’m just waiting for one of the wall to trip backwards over Bellerin.
Pedro Generally, but also at the back imo. Gabriel, Mari, Holding, Chambers…..Saliba, Mavro. We don’t need 6 CB’s, but you maybe argue Chambers is a RB convert now. Looks like we’d listen to Saliba offers, or loan him out again and pull funds from sales to guys like Bellerin and AMN. Not really seeing it unless there’s significant casualties though. Absolutely don’t buy into the idea we gain in attack from better CB and CM players. We’d gain control, but raw creativity is a major issue, and all our top end players are finishers. Really banks on growth from ESR… Read more »
I’ve really got to make the effort to stick to my “I won’t lose my rag over transfer links” policy.
If not I’ll be talking about our revolutionary 1 – 9 -1 formation next season.
That is one of those tactics that I see as both very clever and yet totally bonkers
Fuck off to spending 50m on a fucking CB.
Especially when It’s fucking Calum chambers 2.0.
Seriously with all the positions we are actually weak in, a 50m cb would be fucking idiotic. Especially one from Brighton.
” Looks like we’d listen to Saliba offers,”
That will be criminal – Pedro you’ve said it won’t happen will you assert that opinion?
Marc
I’ll lose my rag for you.
If that prick signs a 50m CB he’s an absolute cunt.
CC, no one moves the ball at Arsenal like Ben White did for Leeds!
Arsenal’s backroom team absolutely believe that we played way better with David Luiz in the side, so this move is replacing what he offers… and I tend to agree.
Don’t know enough about Ben White, but Brighton weren’t bad for reducing shots at their goals , and he’ll certainly be well coached after Bielsa and Potter
I really hope Saliba accepts another loan, because when Arteta gets sacked at Xmas hopefully the next manager can give him a chance.
FFS this isn’t funny at all to me. Ben white when we have Mavropanos, Saliba and Chambers is ridiculous. And if it is for 50 mil, It is mental. I don’t get it why have we got clowns running the club. This is very sad to me.
Danny
What worries me most is it’ll mean selling Saliba.
It that happens I’m suing the club for appointing a Spud fan as manager.
David Ornstein: Ben White is a concrete target for Arsenal this summer and Arsenal are believed to be preparing a move him
Really like the profile of the player would be a good signing would surely mean the end of chambers and Holding right? Gabriel, Mari, Saliba and Ben White is a really good set of CB’s for Arteta to fuck with
Danny
“I really hope Saliba accepts another loan, because when Arteta gets sacked at Xmas hopefully the next manager can give him a chance.”
At least we can look at a clean slate.
Sure I read that art ed are both on holidays so it’s only fishing in web that peeps are biting …
What will be will be.
No more spenny flops please is the only request …
Marko
Chamber’s is an Arteta favourite – he’s going nowhere.
Pedro
You don’t think we could better invest 50m? You seriously think CB was our worst filled position last season?
I already showed you that Luiz had no bearing on our best patch of form last season so replacing him shouldn’t even be a thought atm.
I f we sold Lacazette and / or Auba (I’d sell both if poss) then a really interesting punt would be Luca Jovic. He is still only 23 and had a decent loan season with Frankfurt.
I do think now that Buendia is over that Ode is needed , much as i rate ESR. We need 2 CAMs. Also both can play wide so possible to accommodate both. Offer RM Auba in part ex for a double deal.
Luiz was head and shoulders our best CB in the last seasons yet people kept/keep on hating on him. We do need someone as comfortable with the ball as him. I don’t want my club to keep playing the likes of Holding, Chambers and Mari. Not 1st choice. Captain Rob fkin Holding. State of the Arsenal.
I hate it when people downplay the need for a CB cause we have 5 or 6 or whatever CBs already. Quantity over quality chambers, Holding and Mavropanos shouldn’t be Arsenal players
Arsenal’s points per game, goals per game and goals against with and without Luiz are basically identical.. so no.. he did not improve our play. And our win rate was better without him… we just didn’t lose as many games with him starting, we got draws.
Yes absolutely more defenders is what Arsenal football club needs right now with midfield options that scream HELP ME
Pedro I don’t disagree with that premise, I’ve lauded what Luiz offered Arsenal more than most. I just think Saliba is the elephant in the room on that front and there comes a point where a concrete decision needs made. If that’s to sell Saliba for Ben White then ok, I get the logic there. Just seems unnecessary given the other pressing needs of the squad. I think we’d arguably stand to gain more from integrating Saliba for the season, using the money higher up the pitch, and cutting Saliba next summer if it’s the move. Listen, I’m not wedded… Read more »
So assuming Ornstein is correct and Arsenal are prepared for a big money attempt at signing Ben White from Brighton, that must mean that Tetu have passed on Saliba (talk of giving him a chance in pre-season is lip service) and will sell him if the right level of offer comes this summer. Hope we can recoup a good sum for him. If Chelsea can get EUR 28.5m from cheapskate Italian clubs for Tomori, then Edu must find a way to at least break even on Saliba, be it this summer or by fixing the right loan next year with… Read more »
https://www.planetfootball.com/quick-reads/comparing-arsenals-record-with-and-without-david-luiz-since-2019/
Think about it like this Bati instead of Holding, Mavropanos and Chambers we just have Ben White or Tapsoba? I know right crazy
If you add a quality CB after you’ve sorted out other positions like midfield and getting more goals into the squad then yes but its stupid spending that much on a CB when we’ve got what 6 on the books, quality or not there’s such a thing as priotising during a transfer window especially one in which we’ve run away from one deal already cuz of the financial package or whatever
Raptora
Show me the stats that PROVE Luiz is ‘head and shoulders’ above.
Take our 23 game ‘since Xmas second best defence’ crap..
Luiz played 11 of the 23 games. W6 d4 L1.
Without him w9 lost 3
Please tell me how he made the difference.
I’ll be waiting. But I expect you’ll ignore me.
Jesus a CB isn’t a priority when you have Elneny and Xhaka (not gone yet) and an alternative N 10 to Smith Rowe. and we have Chambers bellerin and Cedric as RBs. It is very stupid. We will be regretting this 50 mil when Arteta gets sacked. I swear I feel like any of us fans would do better than these clowns. This is why you need a stronger sporting Director. Edu can fuck off if he allows Arteta to do this. A stronger Director would tell him to work with what he has at CB and manage the resources… Read more »
Danny S,
I can’t prove you anything. It’s my opinion. You are free to have your own.
We should find out what we have first before coveting someone else’s CB to paraphrase the Bible. At the very least we need to nurture for sale. i think it would be a massive shame not to see Saliba in action. last year was blown by AFC – he should have been loaned to a Championship team to improve his sense of English football as well as his language skills.
Bati
It’s stupid spending that amount of money when we’re broke and need to sort other areas so badly. Are Holding, Chambers, Mari even Gabriel long term options – god knows but we really need to start prioritising areas over vanity
Marko
I’m not downplaying the need for a CB, but would you say it’s our top priority? Above a CM and RB, spare LB and alternative AM?
Our defence was solid last 23 of the season. Would have been even better with a better CM in front and a better RB.
Habesha He wouldn’t be the first player not to make it at Juventus as a kid, even our best ever player didn’t. Mo Salah made the transition from Serie A to the PL look pretty easy. The Serie A debate has been done to death on here anyway, I get people having reservations about it as a league. Mkhitaryan was for the most part crap in the PL, he was excellent in Germany and very good in Italy so make of that what you will. Teams, system and fit. Pepe impactful? Not unless he is scoring, his numbers this season… Read more »
For £40 000 000
It should be Dunk and White!
Marko
Think about it this way, it won’t matter who we have as CB if we don’t have an existing midfield or add goals from somewhere further up the pitch. How many summers have we had where we had multiple 50 million pound signings before? So why not use that to sort out the most pressing needs
quality or not
Isn’t that a big problem with Arsenal though we’ve accumulated so many of these types of players and end up keeping them. Again have 3 or 4 nothing defenders why not just replace them with one or two good defenders
I honestly think if Arteta sells Saliba he’ll have the fans on his back from the first minute things aren’t great and let’s face it how often does Arteta do great?
I’d loved it if we gave Gabriel – Saliba pair a go before we go on and spend 50m on a single player.
TR7 must be pretty devastated, an even bigger Rafa fan than me.
Djoker winning this would be huge for the GOAT race. Only player to win 2 of each of the Majors as well as beating Rafa at the FO twice, he’s only ever lost there 3 times! Also bumps him up to 19 and gives him the chance to equal Rafa and Fed by winning Wimbledon.
Ben White has limited pace. Don’t like the idea of spending 40-50m on a CB that can’t be trusted in space. Rashford took him to the cleaners when White drifted wide. Why the fcuk does Arteta get to make all these decisions?!?
PedroJune 11, 2021 22:08:17
The real world doesn’t work off one data point.
———-
But works off a 22 game sample versus a 38 game sample?Scratch that,what about a 51 game sample?
D10
Because he has sauce – didn’t you know?
It is not just the fact that we don’t need a CB either that infuriates me, I don’t even think Ben white is worth 30 mil to be honest. Not when liverpool are getting Konate for that.
Raptora
What was that last season 3rd best defence in the league and that’s without any 50 million pound defender brought in.
We have a young player we spent the better part of 30 million on so why not give the lad an actually chance seeing as he’s already gotten very good reviews and performances in the French league and still quite young. That way you get to spend the bulk of your budget on positions that the team is actually lacking in jeez it’s not that hard is it
It also won’t matter how good our CBs are and how many of them we have if our central midfield remains shit.
As long as that midfield is sub par the team will have to continue to get men behind the ball and defend deep and that in turn affects the offense.
I’d love to see Gabrielle and Mari at the back.
This almost obsessive refusal to play 2 left footed CB’s is potentially robbing us of a top pairing.
So why not use that to sort out the most pressing needs
You don’t think CB is pressing? Between Mustafi, Luiz, Chambers and Holding there was 90+ appearances between them last season and they’re either gone or shite so yeah I think that we need a CB given our options going into the season. And no I don’t think going with Chambers and Holding is worthwhile for yet another season cause we need a CAM it’s not an either/or situation
Marko
I’m all for quality really but literally have come off our worst goal scoring season as a team, have just one existing functional midfielder in the squad, have no proper RB or back up goalkeeper, no source of goals from midfield too. You can’t tell me spending that huge amount on a CB should take precedent.
Charlie … Lewis dunk
Ben White good players not the type to take us to next level…
Give saliba a chance ffs
Him and gabs a chance .
Our Cb’s are currently:
Gabriel, Mari, Holding, Chambers*, Saliba, Mavropanos.
Left backs:
Tierney, Kolasinac
Right backs:
Bellerin, Cedric, AMN, Chambers*
–
From that lot you could’ve easily purge Kolasinac, Holding, Bellerin, AMN, Mavropanos, and either of Chambers or Cedric.
Trouble is you then need a backup LB, a RB, and a CB, without touching midfield or attacking areas that is set to lose Xhaka, and already lost Odegaard.
Remember when fans used to chant
“Spend some fu*king money”
They should have been more specific, because any idiot can spend money
Genuine question, is Ben White an improvement on Holding, Luiz or Chambers?
Surely if we’re going to spend £40-£50 million on a centre half, that players needs to significantly improve our team in the immediate
Marc
Awful stuff man. The fact that Xhaka and Leno, two loyal parts of the project, have asked to leave is a damning indictment. Can’t wait for him to be sacked
How is CB more pressing than the midfield?
Bonkers viewpoint.
We could have had VVD and Dias at the back last season. As soon as the opposition learned that every time you put Xhaka or Bellerin or Cebelos under pressure they would pass back to them, you’d be shipping goals and making mistakes cause they would close them down constantly.