I mean, every single time I complain about slow biz, Arsenal deal that day. No sooner had I let rip that our summer was going down the pan because Captain Edu was busy sailing on the Don Shouldwebedoingthis… we signed a player. Well, kind of.
David Ornstein revealed that the Ben White deal has clocked in at £50m, making the right-sided centre back our 3rd most expensive signing in history. For a club that took made players bring packed lunches last season to save money, this is quite the statement.
As fans, we’re in ‘if Edu is involved, there’s no doubt it’s bad’ mode at the moment… but no doubt if Liverpool or Chelsea did this we’d be praising their shrewd scouting. A bit like Ryan Bertrand causing an #ArtetaOut trending topic, until Leicester went there, and it was fine.
Whatever you think about the deal, this much is true.
He’s a truly unique talent in the way that he plays. He’s been coached by Bielsa, who plays murderball at training, he’s been developed further by the excellent Graham Potter at Brighton. He carries the ball like a midfielder, he can confidently move passes between the lines like David Luiz, and he’s now capped.
Then factor in the next most important thing: he’s robust. He dropped 46 appearances at Leeds during his single season there. He played 36 of Brighton’s 38 games last season. The guy has a body that is ready for the challenge. So, so important for Arsenal this season after watching what Thomas Partey’s unusual run last season did to our campaign. Derisk is my fave new term… and this signing has it all in my opinion.
The big question marks are the same for any young centre back with a newly minted profile: Can they do it at a big club?
Harry McG was mercilessly mocked when he went to United, he’s just made the finals of the Euros conceding two goals. Same for John Stones over at Manchester City. Whenever there is a young British centre back that lands a big move, everyone doubts them, it is absolutely standard. I can even remember West Ham fans telling me Rio was great but would struggle at a big club. I think most of that comes down to branding… when you have a boring name and you look like an 18-30s Ibiza club rep, people doubt your talent.
Changing that view is down to the player. Most Arsenal fans don’t know what to make of it, so let’s hope the plan in place is one that is sharp, because boy do we need him to level us up next season. Still, at 23, if he can do it, it’ll look a bargain in a few years time.
For me, this is a massive piece of the Arteta jigsaw. There can’t be reasons this season as to why the system didn’t work. There can’t be rogue ‘but that player wasn’t quite right’ this season. We need to see the finished product. That finished product needs ball playing centrebacks. Fullbacks that can move and deliver final balls. Creative players that can move the ball at speed and be decisive. Strikers that are finishing their chances.
Even if you don’t understand Ben White, know that he’s important, otherwise they’d have put that money elsewhere. Also, Sky reporting that medical is set for when he’s back from holiday is like, exactly what Le-Grove told you.
Apparently, the club wants to reveal the Kido Hart deal as well as the Sambi Lokonga signing. Honestly, I am really quite thrilled about Lokonga. Even if it doesn’t quite work out, the idea is right. It shows that we’re leaning into the analysts behind the scenes, it shows that we have the smarts at Arsenal to fish out value, and it once again reinforces that the powers that be took note of what old players bring to the dressing room.
The Kido Hart deal is also a superb piece of news. You can keep reading all these weirdos saying the club is crashing and Emery was a better idea than Arteta… but the kids who used to leave under Wenger are now signing deals. You do not entrust your future to a coach you don’t believe in. Kido Hart could have his pick of clubs on the continent, he chose to stay at Arsenal because he sees a future here. I think that’s fucking great news.
I still think the biggest worry for Arsenal fans is where we’re putting the money for the Xhaka replacement and who we’re going to bring in to cover for the loss of Martin Odegaard. We’re not moving things forward without those two positions being filled. Our midfield is not going to be a 21 year old in his first Premier League year.
The big rumblings are that Locatelli is the player they want. Again, he’s a bit slow, but he has so much power and craft to his game. The goss from Italy appears to be that Juventus tapping Sassuolo for a 2-year loan deal with an obligation to buy. Arsenal are sitting outside the office with two suitcases full of cash worth £40m. If you run Sassuolo, who are probably bleeding hard at the moment, are you really going to let Juve pull your pants down like that? Cash is king, particularly this season. You cannot be doing mega clubs favours like that. The club might not survive. It always feels like a longshot move… but if Juve don’t have money, that is a very difficult obstacle to manoeuvre. Can you imagine the fireworks if we managed to pull that deal off?
This is another red flag issue… if you wait 4 weeks and Juve miraculously find the cash, you are fucked, because no one else will deal.
How long do you wait for your primary targets?
What does it cost you?
Can you afford to go into a season with either of those two positions vacant?
Transfer windows for clubs like Arsenal are a moving target. There are so many variables. The job of Edu is to manage them to perfection. So far, he hasn’t always delivered, so this summer is huge.
… one thing we can say about Edu though, he doesn’t sit on money, and he will find players. Not always the players you want, but he finds them.
Arsenal play Rangers today. I’m expecting a sexier performance than the one we saw in the week, but again, calm down, it’s just a friendly.
Before I go… no one told me the new home kit had hooped socks. I am absolutely going full kit on this. Imagine me rolling to a meeting near you soon, wearing these like Payne-Stewart-plus-fours.
OI OI, listen to the podcast.
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WE
Sorry mate repeated your comment without seeing it.
But exactly – I’m not even sure some on here understand the irony of it.
BobTheBuilder continuously working on widening them goalposts
Peckobill
If we’re only going to compete for 6th to 8th where do people get off on suggesting we should spend £150 million or more?
It’s all bullshit and doesn’t add up.
China
What brought you over to China originally, work?
I’m always a bit curious as to whether the league is really that much more competitive In terms of points tallies many of the highest points tallies ever have been recorded in the last decade. We have more teams competing for top 4 than ever before – that much is true, but in any given season typically one or two teams absolutely run away with it and smash everyone. How many times in the last 10 years has 3rd place been within 6 points of 1st? I’ve no idea, but I bet it’s not more than 4. Most seasons consist… Read more »
If we dont have money to compete for top 4. Then how the hell did Leicester manage to be there for 99% of last season. People reaching down into their bowels to find all kinds of excuses. I’ll tell you why. Leicester had a fr better manager than we did. That’s why and we didnt. I’m not the betting type but will venture Brendan Rodgers will be looking down on us again end of next season
Peckobill
Exactly. Champions League title within three seasons may have been tongue-in-cheek but not to deliver top 4 after 2.5 seasons and two full transfer seasons to replenish the squad and put your stamp on it?
That’a failure. No matter how far some stretch the goalposts.
Arteta said that he wants to win the CL in three years. He needs to get top4 first, isn’t it?
Bob get’s asked a simple question that is very difficult to answer if all you’ve got are excuses and he disappears.
And he get’s holier than thou with other posters.
WE
What people are forgetting is that Arteta was close to missing out on Europe season before last as well. It was only some fat cunt fucking up who’s now been sacked that means this isn’t the second successive season out of Europe.
Weagle I met my wife at uni in Bristol and her student visa was going to expire a few months after finishing her masters. Contrary to popular belief it was incredibly hard to find a job to get her a work visa (extremely stringent rules for non EU citizens at the time). I was still a student and couldn’t earn enough on the side to sponsor her on a partner visa. Marriage would’ve been too soon and even then wouldn’t resolve her visa status without me earning enough. So I decided to go back with her, finish my masters here… Read more »
Marc, We didn’t get European football because seven teams finished above us!! It wasn’t a strategy to finish so far down the table so we could ‘concentrate on the PL’ – a ‘benefit’ if you like. We all know that we need significant improvements in our first team, particularly in midfield and strikers need to get more clinical. We have been ‘told’ that we will be able to invest a significant amount in the squad. Most posters ,including myself, expect no midweek football to be to our obvious advantage however it is foolish not to acknowledge the comparative strengths of… Read more »
Marc Irrelevant whether you liked Wenger or not , wanted him in or out ( he should’ve gone about 6 years earlier ) the whole premise of this blog was “ we stuck in elite purgatory “ continuing to just get top 4 finishes . The elite purgatory line become a mantra on here , the whole basis of getting Wenger out so we could challenge again and now it’s ok to get Europa league ? Get the fuck out of here with that bullshit I say . Klopp broke into the top against doped clubs so why can’t we… Read more »
Marc, Like you wrote the point would make sense if they were arguing that missing European Football give us a better chance to get Champion’s League. But no they are now arguing that we have no chance of making top 4, so no chance to qualify for the Champion’s League. It looks like our best chance is to win the FA CUp, and then winning the Europa League. That means two years beyond Arteta promise to win it within 3 years! Does that mean that Arteta bullshitted his way into the Arteta’s job? Pedro may do all his PR dance,… Read more »
Bob
You’ve got yourself into an argument with me over people who said missing out on EL was a good thing.
You either think it is or you think it’s a bad thing. It’s not complicated.
I think it’s terrible it reduces our income and makes us even less attractive to new players.
Haha China, nice story that. How is your grasp on Mandarin/Cantonese?
Must have been quite the culture shock!
Bob the way I see it is I won’t judge based on a single number (4th vs 5th etc), it’s all about context If we played well and got 80 points (we won’t) but finished 5th I’d call it a fantastic season and huge improvement. Great job. If we came third with 72 points but all the major clubs around us totally imploded for various reasons I’d call it only a solid improvement and wouldn’t be fawning over the league position if performances flattered to deceive and our position was heavily dependent on other clubs having a bad season Just… Read more »
If we were going to hava a dip at some point, then why did we sack Wenger? If we need to clean the team first then why sack Emery, Because he was 8th at November? Arteta was 14th in the dame.period last season. What I see is.thata Wenger.and.Emery receive all the shit with the UNDERACHIEVERS TAG while Arteta has all the excuses playing worse football and having less points ,a lot less. Now he is out of.Europe who Arteta lovers said was for the best, but.the same.guys are saying we will achieve EL next season. This club deserved all this… Read more »
Marc
That FA Cup trophy is the sole reason Tets is still in a job.
Bob N16 – 5th is the new 4th and anyone’s house says otherwise is a hardcore Arteta-out
What about just using the same standard that was extended to Wenger and the other Sparniad.
Why is Arteta so special?
We are seeing more and more posters on here lose patience with the bullshit, the ineptitude, piss poor football, piss poor results and just the general malaise around the club.
Can anyone remember if an Arsenal Manager has had his team boo’d off during the first home match of the season?
Dissenter
What started this was my comment about people moving the goal posts and lowering expectations. Give it a couple of months and 5th will be an unreasonable expectation. We might as well just say 17th is good enough.
Dude the first year is so was awful. I adapted very slowly I work 50-60 hours a week so I haven’t put hard time in on studying for many years, but I do have quite competent conversational mandarin. As long as it’s nothing hyper specific or unfamiliar I can discuss most common topics ok. As for reading and writing, Chinese has a Roman alphabet version called Pinyin which I mastered (not very difficult) but mandarin characters I never learnt to read or write The funny thing is if you type on your phone you use pinyin and it suggests mandarin… Read more »
Marc
At this rate some fnas will be making a parade because we avoided relegation
Rambo, see what you did there with ” Bob the builder’ – classic banter. To those who disagree with me, are you suggesting anything less than top 4 is a sackable offence? Is there a scenario where say 5th place is acceptable? Simply arguing that Wenger and Emery got sacked for this same ‘offence’ is not recognising where we find ourselves now, with regards to the strength of our top 4 competitors. I would argue it’s not creating excuses for Arteta, but simply being realistic at a time when our first team is in a period of transition and our… Read more »
China
Could’ve been worse you could have sent a text to the mother in law that went all kinds of wrong!
Bob N16
Well said
Arsenal should be in conversation for top 4 right through till the end of the season like Leicester were in the last two seasons even though they missed out on it eventually. Anything less will be a failure in my opinion.
Bob
A simple yes or no
Do you think arteta said he could deliver top 4 to the board in his interview?
Do you think the board hire him if he said I can only deliver two 8th’s and a 6th place finish ?
The Plumb bob should judge every manager perpendicularly without bending
Marc, it wasn’t a choice that we didn’t finish in the EL positions!
The fact is that when we finished 8th some supporters, including myself, recognised that the ‘silver lining’ was that we should benefit by a few points by not playing those extra games, particularly the away fixtures. I was hoping for 6th or higher, the Spuds can play in the shittier EL!
You can trust the process to your hearts content Real question I think is does anyone realistically see a rebuilt midfield for next season For all the huff and puff with the TW there is a real likelihood that Xhaka stays and we don’t get a CAM Best case scenario is we get Neves Locatelli is a pipe dream, appears odegard is one too With a midfield of Xhaka or Neves +/- a CAM I see us finishing 6th to 8th (bearing in mind ESR can’t bear the burden alone) With Xhaka and no CAM 8th to 10th With Artedu… Read more »
Bob, no I’m with you. At some point you gotta accept realities and reality is Arsenal are a shitty, mismanaged club top down. Arteta is merely a symptom, not the disease; getting rid of the chancer is alleviating the symptom, not curing the disease.
Setting up expectation on a top four finish is akin to expecting a lottery win.
“with regards to the strength of our top 4 competitors.”
Last season:
Chelsea shit and sacked their manager
Liverpool shit
We didn’t we make top 4 last season then.
Bob has 3 positions.
1) Move the goal posts
2) Make excuses.
3) Move the goal posts and then make excuses anyway.
Marc man I’ve had some hilarious fuck ups over the years There is a classic story from about 6 years ago that ended with me getting a boy in his final test to draw a picture of ‘cow man’ on his test paper because my mandarin pronunciation was slightly off when trying to tell him to draw a picture of a girl 😂😂😂😂😂😂 Ah man. I totally forgot about that. Fuck that was funny The look of absolute bemusement on this 9 year olds face when the teacher is insisting that he needs to draw a picture of ‘cow man’… Read more »
Bob
I’m finding it very difficult to not lose my temper with you – you talk about me insulting Pedro – you don’t know what an insult is.
What are the benefits of missing out on the EL places last season if we’re only going to make a EL place in the PL this season?
As for ” it wasn’t a choice that we didn’t finish in the EL positions!”
No it was sheer incompetence by the manager.
Imagine the hypocrisy
Pedro constantly dissing Brendan for narrowly missing out on top-twice and then will happily accept 5th place from Arteta.
‘Best of the rest”! … now you know why they tell us to be “positive”
Godfather
Given the proximity to the dug out and your moniker, perhaps you could leave a few horse’s heads on some seats. If you can only get say 4 heads, I suggest you leave them on seats earmarked for Arteta, Round, Willian and Bellerin.
🐴🐴🐴🐴
Great story that China,
From Bristol to Beijing.
7.5 years. And still Arsenal in disarray before the season starts.
China
So what you’re telling me is that you are solely responsible for the entire nation of China’s declining view of the UK?
CG
Why did you withdraw your claim to ‘Grimsdale”?
We may be about to sign an undertaker goalie
Sid, you’re such a seedy character, so many of your comments descend into smut or innuendo. Glad that I don’t know anybody in my real life with your hardly disguised proclivities. I would prefer it if you would go and be disgusting elsewhere but that’s not in my power. China, agree, context is everything, that’s what I’ve been trying to argue. Pecko, I would imagine that Arteta suggested that he would take Arsenal to the top 4, no idea what the timeline was. It’s up to the board to decide if he hasn’t delivered. I would have sacked him last… Read more »
Kroenke
How happy would you be to hear the headline “Mikel Arteta sleeps with the fishes”?
I’m solely responsible for Cow Man I know that much
I gave the kid 1 point for successfully drawing cow man in jeans at shirt and a hat because that’s what I’d told the poor kid to do 😂😂😂
I couldn’t let him get 0 after that come on
For me I’m getting more detached from Arsenal by the day and thus get a few laughs following debates between the Loyalists vs The Entitled. Or whatever you want to call the parties.
The Loyalists, with their unrelenting optimistic, naive view. The Entitled, with their blindness to how shit Arsenal are.
*grabs popcorn*
I think the argument goes like this: “We have no money because we didnt qualify for EL. Because we have no EL we may not qualify for EL…However not qualifying for EL puts us in a better position because we dont play in the Europa”
CG I was angry about arsenal being shit before I left! Some things never change
Marc, 17.54 seems like you need a lie down!
‘What are the benefits of missing out on the EL places last season if we’re only going to make a EL place in the PL this season?
As for ” it wasn’t a choice that we didn’t finish in the EL positions!”
No it was sheer incompetence by the manager.
Global – another person who needs a lie down!
I think the argument goes like this: “We have no money because we didnt qualify for EL. Because we have no EL we may not qualify for EL…However not qualifying for EL puts us in a better position because we dont play in the Europa”
Dissenter
“””CG Why did you withdraw your claim to ‘Grimsdale”?””””
I didnt.
‘ Grimsdale’ as most of Le Grovers know is associated with English comedian Norman Wisdom.
If Grimsdale arrives for more than what we sold Martinez , i am finished with AFC.
Some might be happy, with that.
Spare me the victorian morality Robert
China
Nah you should have used it as a lesson in “don’t always take what someone in authority says as gospel”
On the other hand in China that might not be such a good idea!
China1 If the picture of the cow-man was good, then I hope you gave him an A+, he was only doing what you asked I got kicked out of two schools, and the second school I got kicked out of, even though I probably should have got the boot before this, I thought the final reason was quite tame I hated my English teacher and a few other teachers, and he told us to write a short story, and we could write whatever we wanted So I wrote a story about going on a mass killing spree against all the… Read more »
Lovely stories China.
Love the bungees story.
So Arsenal have gone from a team that posters thought needed just 3-4 decent additions to compete. Then even after having a big say in which players stayed and played last year and a TW of his choice (waiting for Aouar). Despite getting to spend £50m+ on a shiny new defender and supposedly more cash on midfielders and a keeper, those who follow the Generational one seem to have very little faith in his abilities to progress us. 🤔🤔 Such reluctance to truly get behind their man. I mean surely after being in place this length of time, getting financial… Read more »
Bob
Regarding the timeline of delivering champions league football I don’t think in that interview arteta says “ Stan you’ll have well popped your clogs but josh you never know you might get to see it
I’d just like to emphasize to Pedro that whilst I agree with Mark’s post that’s not me it’s some who can’t spell Marc.
So what if Arteta is sacked? They’re gonna replace him with another tw@t. On the remote possibility they manage to hire a good one, he’ll still not have resources to turn around the Arsenal Titanic.
Unfortunately for you, they dont send people to Magdalene asylums no more
The idea that our squad is so much worse relative to the top four now than it was with the previous manager is laughable. Emery massively over achieved by coming fifth – and got sacked. How do you thing Arteta would have done with his side? Leno Bellerin (rubbish apparently) Mustafi (do I even need to ask?) Papa Sok (not even registered by MA) Kola (see Mustafi above) Xhaka (anyone want to keep him?) Guendouzi/Torreira (MA doesn’t rate either of them) Iwobi (really?) Ozil (semi-retired) Laca (very average) Auba (actually performed well pre-Arteta) These are are most used XI when… Read more »
Bob is on a wind up. It’s the only explanation.
‘It wasn’t a choice that we didn’t finish in the EL places.
You don’t say!!
Marc That FA Cup trophy is the sole reason Tets is still in a job. —- Eagle – no. The sole reason he is still in the job is he did the dirty work and got the team to agree to a pay cut – the only team in the PL to do that btw – and then sidelined the one player that objected. He is Josh’s henchman. People blame Özil for taking the money without paying – well I was shunted out of the team because I disagreed to a paycut, I’d probably do exactly the same. Extract every… Read more »
Rich cow man got him points, I couldn’t not give him that. Also imagine the poor lad taking his final test hone to his mum with 0 marks and his mum is looking at it and is like why the fuck did you draw a bipedal cow in human clothes??? I couldn’t put him through the shame of trying to justify that! And yeah I also got in trouble when I was 16 for the same kinda thing. It was GCSE coursework and the title was ‘write about how this passage from abc Shakespeare book causes tension’. So I wrote… Read more »
Pecko, fair point.
The issue is not just with the manager’s competence it’s clearly also with the owners!
Mark, not sure who is ‘hoodwinked’ within the support, every Arsenal fan I know has reservations around Arteta’s continued employment. I think the ownership could be the one’s who have been hoodwinked who mayagain have to reflect on their own competence not just on their appointees. I hope I’m wrong but I’m not confident.
How happy would you be to hear the headline “Mikel Arteta sleeps with the fishes
Hi Marc, A bit drastic maybe seeing as he’s a former player! Although ask me again if he’s still stalking the touchline in October….
Maybe change it to coaches the fishes and he can fuck off to Grimsby Town and manage them.
Let’s keep this season predictor narrative nice and simple. Fourth or higher. No judgment on the domestic cups but bully for everyone if we do well in either of thosr. This season has to be all about CL qualification – non negotiable.
Cheers James mate
Pedro should do a “Hot Takes” comments page, the day before the season kicks off
Personal expectation, minimum requirement
*League finish
* Total points
* Goals scored
* Goals conceded
* FA Cup prediction round + eventual winner
* League Cup prediction round + eventual winner
* Final top 4
* 3 Relegated teams
Personal opinion on where we’ll finish in relation to those expectations
*League finish
* Total points
* Goals scored
* Goals conceded
* FA Cup prediction round + eventual winner
* League Cup prediction round + eventual winner
* Final top 4
* Relegated teams
Rich
Yeah I think a few would be up for that – although not sure we it’ll happen because it’s against the religion of those who follow the Holy Prophet Mikel and the “Order of the Excuse”.
My favorite new angle on why Arteta shouldn’t be sacked if he underperformed has to be the who else is out there angle and why would they come here. So apparently Arsenal are/have been at a crossroads but the only person who can/will do the job of guiding the club onto the right path is the guy with no record of ever having done so. Also, he makes £5million per year which obviously would be too much money to waste by sacking him, but paying £50m for a defender to satisfy his whims — universally agreed as about the entirety… Read more »
Bob , I used Leeds as an example as to why I don’t feel that taking into consideration other teams strengthening, could be used to lower our expectations for our club. With a good manager and a plan, teams can outperform other teams. If said manager can build belief within the team and a winning mentality. This usually comes when players buy in to the manager’s philosophy. The fact that so many pieces that were integral to Arteta’s team/philosophy last season want out, and now Tet’s saying he needs a wholesale clear out. What does that say to you about… Read more »
Tom
You missed the irony of that’s exactly what the AKB’s used to say with regards to getting shot of Wenger – pretty much the foundation of Le Grove.
Well said Mark
But I somehow doubt the ability of Artedu to complete these without selling. Would love to be wrong and I still keep an eye on the transfer rumours.
Marc It’s too far out to do it now, but would certainly be something interesting to come back too As we stand, I think we’d be looking at another 8th place finish, or maybe slightly worse, we’re already weaker, and clubs around us a little bit stronger A few astute adjustments in the right areas, can see us push some fine margins in our favour on a more consistent basis Arteta the coach doesn’t stress me out like you, it’s Arteta the manager who worries me I’m more concerned we’ll screw up our recruitment, replace overpaid dross, with more overpaid… Read more »
Cheers Sly.
It’s unreal that people shouldn’t be expecting our’generational’ manager to be challenging for top four?? When did it suddenly become about who’s got the best squad (on paper) or most cash.
A top manager is supposed to bridge the gap between expensive squads , with great tactical skill and in game management. What the fuck makes Arteta generational then, his hair?
Too many excuses and passes given for the undeserved, makes me wanna puke.
Fair enough Mark, we should all wait and see who we get in before we get too carried away with predictions/expectations. I think we’d all agree that if we had an experienced, proven manager we would be in a much better place but Arteta was chosen as a ‘project manager’ and the owners, in their wisdom(!) have decided he should be given sufficient funds and more time to realise his vision. I hope for the best but I’m not too hopeful, if we do get an additional 2/3 first teamers to add to White then we must show a significant… Read more »
China1July 17, 2021 17:26:05 Weagle I met my wife at uni in Bristol and her student visa was going to expire a few months after finishing her masters. Contrary to popular belief it was incredibly hard to find a job to get her a work visa (extremely stringent rules for non EU citizens at the time). I was still a student and couldn’t earn enough on the side to sponsor her on a partner visa. Marriage would’ve been too soon and even then wouldn’t resolve her visa status without me earning enough.So I decided to go back with her, finish… Read more »
Agreed Mark
The team does need some rebuilding but putting the blocks together requires innovation and skill
The lumbering process artedu are taking us through belies a lack of ability they’ve already shown us over the last 18 months
The TW rumors so far have been pretty spot on so unless there’s a link we haven’t heard of all the cards appear to be on the table which only leads us to the same conclusion
The emperor is clueless
I don’t think anyone expects top four. As someone mentioned earlier it’s all about context, if we don’t reach it, how did we perform. If we did well but others just had brilliant seasons, I don’t think anyone will be calling for his head. If there’s clear improvement in the results and style of play. Consistent team selection based on merit not favourites etc etc then most will be happy to continue. However the expectation should be top four at the least, the expectation and target set!! Then depending on where we finished and how we finished, then you can… Read more »
Sly , I think there’s a few too many people who dig the emperor’s New clothes too much. Lol
PhD/WE
Watch this
https://youtu.be/ZT_HKohsJrY
Mark
Yup that’s what I’m seeing
Led by Pedro 😂😂
I don’t remember at any point when Arteta being appointed was being discussed – whether before Emery was or as his replacement – that going into a severe downturn would be part of the process or a natural progression of his appointment.
If someone had told us Arteta being appointed would lead to what we’ve seen the last 18 odd months no one would’ve thought it was a good idea.
TR7July 17, 2021 19:09:21
PhD/WE
—-
Thanks for the link TR7.
I’m just 1 min:36 seconds into the clip..
Geez,he whips that backhand like it’s a forehand shot.
Amazing…
Agree Marc, it’s been underwhelming so far and many of us would have welcomed Arteta’s removal last season. That didn’t happen and he’s on thin ice!
TR7July 17, 2021 19:09:21
—–
His backhand is more complete than Federer’s in a way.
Has a venomous bite to it.But the way he hits it-like a reverse forehand top spin,with the follow through.
Not seen a backhand shot or swing like this before to be honest.
Bob
Well the good news is I have some heavy weights for him to hold and an industrial size ice melter!
PhD
Man I love that backhand…what flamboyance and swagger !! He hits them from such angles that he leaves his opponent totally flummoxed. He nearly beat Djoker in Wimbledon SF. The guy is different from the rest of the gen next. I will keep an eye on him.
Yeah his backhand is almost like a lofted straight/on drive shot in cricket.
TR7July 17, 2021 19:09:21
Also,he opens up his body well,to be in that position to execute those devastating backhand shots.And he’s on top of the ball.Hitting it directly on the rise.
The timing to execute it, like from a reverse forehand position.
Nice link dude. Appreciated that.
PS
I don’t know what do you think?
Curious about the latin America guy,
was he brancos, pardos, pretos or amarelos
TR7July 17, 2021 19:25:28
Yeah his backhand is almost like a lofted straight/on drive shot in cricket.
—–
Haha..Don’t tell me…
Reminded of you…Wait for it,maybe…..
The great…
“Sachin Tendulkar?”
PhD
No, Brian Lara.
Lara used to have this huge back lift and trigger movement in case you have watched him play. Imagine Lara moving back and across and hitting a lofted on drive with a nice follow through (high elbow). I am not sure whether I am making sense here with my analogy/comparison. Nonetheless breathtaking backhand, never seen something like this before.
SidJuly 17, 2021 19:29:15
Curious about the latin America guy,
was he brancos, pardos, pretos or amarelos
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Lol Sid..
I don’t know…
But had to google your terms..So,think he was more Pardos, maybe Amarelos.
I don’t know.But a very cool guy nonetheless.
Can’t believe,I’ve answered that…
Smh.
He looked like Varane if anything.Not sure,if that answers your question.
TR7July 17, 2021 19:41:02 No, Brian Lara.Lara used to have this huge back lift and trigger movement in case you have watched him play. Imagine Lara moving back and across and hitting a lofted on drive with a nice follow through (high elbow). I am not sure whether I am making sense here with my analogy/comparison. Nonetheless breathtaking backhand, never seen something like this before. —— Haha,you blind sided me there.. Yep,know of Lara. Yep,you’re making sense.Can visualise it-the movements you’ve described. Did he used to make either a step back or a step to the side maybe for that… Read more »
PhD
Step back but not 180 degree, a bit slanted. Due to his unique feet and body movement he could hit shots that others could only dream of. And for me and I guess majority of cricket fans he remains the most swashbuckling and asthetically pleasing batsman ever.
Shapovalov too opens.us his body so that he can generate a lot of power behind his backhand and his hand moves a bit like Lara when he hits those backhands.
TR7July 17, 2021 19:23:06
PhDMan I love that backhand…what flamboyance and swagger !! He hits them from such angles that he leaves his opponent totally flummoxed. He nearly beat Djoker in Wimbledon SF. The guy is different from the rest of the gen next. I will keep an eye on him.
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And single-handed as well.
Incredible.
So hard to perfect that shot with a single-handed back swing.
Geez..Certainly will be following him.
‘He was Dwight Yorke’s partner in crime-non?’
Yes yes !
TR7July 17, 2021 19:58:40 And for me and I guess majority of cricket fans he remains the most swashbuckling and asthetically pleasing batsman ever. —— Very true. Can’t dispute that.The strokes from Lara. How does Sachin Tendulkar rate in comparison? ——- TR7July 17, 2021 19:58:40 Shapovalov too opens.us his body so that he can generate a lot of power behind his backhand and his hand moves a bit like Lara when he hits those backhands. —– But you know it’s: 1) The anticipation. 2) The foot movement 3) The open body and the racket up and face open at all… Read more »