The best news of the summer dropped on the .com, with Arsenal making Emile Smith Rowe their brand new #10.
This is huge.
The player is a pure manifestation of everything we want out of a young player at Arsenal.
He’s extremely talented.
His attitude is exceptional.
He has an outrageous athletic profile.
He’s a Gooner through and through.
This is a massive win for Edu, who despite his obvious flaws, has made it his mission to stop the flow of young talent exiting the club.
This is also a massive win for Mikel Arteta. There’e a vocal section of the fanbase that keeps telling us he’s bland, a dictator, and bad for young players… yet here we are, another of Hale-Ends finest, putting pen to paper on a long-term deal.
You can say that’s money, but it’s not. Hungry players give a shit about one thing and one thing only… career development. They see a future at Arsenal and you have to be pleased about that.
The other massive win is the new vision for Arsenal. Clearly, we’re ageing down the squad, finally accepting smartest way to the top is to do things properly.
Build a young squad, coach them well, make sure when they hit the Champions League, they are ready to compete for the trophy.
This model is already reaping rewards. Tavares said he wanted to play with The Smith and Saka. Sambi Lokonga had offers from elsewhere in Europe and he chose Arsenal. We are now and attractive option for a younger generation of kids who see London, great training facilities, elite stadium… and the chance to make their mark in the best league.
I’m thrilled about this. Nearly all the young players we wanted to stay are committing their longterm futures to Arsenal. Saka, Martinelli, Emile Smith Rowe, Balogun, Kido Hart, Okowono… what a summer!
Now Edu and his team have to get to work to fill out the rest of the squad.
We still need a Xhaka replacement.
We are in desperate need of additional creativity in midfield.
We don’t have an acceptable right back.
The back-up keeper needs are getting desperate.
There are still 15 centre backs in the squad.
Plenty of work to do, but the summer is starting to feel a little bit sexier, and the mood is starting to lift.
Let’s see what the week ahead has for us.
Emile Smith Rowe, number 10, how very, very exciting.
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We dropped another podcast that we recorded for the video creeeeew. Enjoy. Find my co-host @iJohnnyCochrane.
Raptora I could see City letting Bernardo Silva leave this window, definitely if they do indeed sign Grealish but I doubt that because they never spend 100m on a player. Balance-wise though it would make sense. They have too many left-footed playmakers in Foden, Mahrez and Silva with KDB operating deeper in the middle. Foden has had to play LW a lot this season when his best position will likely be from the right where he can cut inside onto his left. You saw how Saka’s game kicked up another level when he was moved to the right side. Grealish… Read more »
Christian Romero vs Ben White
Spurs may be about to pay less for a much better defender than we paid for the pad with one year premier league experience. They are on the verge of signing a central defender with 3 goals and 5 assists in 42 appearances.
It’s so annoying that the very season clubs on the continent are in economic tailspin, we decide that’ we have to buy British.
ES, I know little about Ramsdale and his worth(although interesting chat with Blades blogger on Arsecast).
PSG can offer top wages and CL football, we can’t. The very best GKs can afford to choose!
Maddison can play both as a CM and a CAM which for me makes him an ideal recruitment for Arsenal.
WE,
Insane that people EXPECT us to spend £200m. I understand being hopeful, but the chances we break the piggy bank, when we’ve never done it before, are low. That some people think that we’re not only gonna cover our problematic positions – most people will say starting CM, AM and RB.
Instead, the noise suggests we’re after a CB (White), GK (Ramsdale) and CF (Abraham).
Pedro was saying the other day that order doesn’t matter.
So somehow people expect that we’ll get CM, AM, RB and CB, GK, CF. How?
WE “The game of football hasn’t changed as much as is let on, if you have a crap CM that struggle to create and play through the lines, you will struggle” I don’t agree – football has changed a lot. Coaching has changed substantially. The new rules regarding the ball not having to leave the penalty area has made a fundamental change in tactics & technique. I belong to a large club, we now have to coach high press and counter-press, which requires a different ability level. In the old days, we would drill centre-halves on dealing with high crosses,… Read more »
Here is comparative ratings between Leno and Ramsdale
Leno overall 84 diving 85 handling 83 kicking 80 positioning 84 reflexes 86
Ramsdale overall 74 diving 75 handling 73 kicking 69 positioning 73 reflexes 77
Weagle Don’t think you’re going to see us have 5 CM options for 2 spots. If we buy Neves it’s likely a case of Partey and Neves at the base with Lakonga and Elneny there to rotate. Could also see us play with one holding player and that introduces both ESR and Aouar/Maddison as #8 options. Last year we had Partey, Elneny, Xhaka, and Ceballos. It wasn’t the numbers that hurt, it was the drop off from the starting pair. We also had more games because of Europe. Partey, Neves, Lakonga, and Elneny is a much better CM spread than… Read more »
‘It’s so annoying that the very season clubs on the continent are in economic tailspin, we decide that’ we have to buy British’
It is very hard to argue this, valid point and I agree.
“Here is comparative ratings between Leno and Ramsdale“
Did you just get that from a video game?
What happened to all the Onana rumours? Has he signed for Lille then? Has that been confirmed?
Fabio Paratici is doing some nice bit of work by the looks of it. Romero is a good CB and Bryan Gil is highly rated in Spain even though he still has a lot to prove. I said this before Spurs will be better off selling Kane than keeping him if they get £ 150M for him.
WE,
I made the same point yesterday about attacking the English market the very season almost all continental clubs are in dire need of money. Pedro said I was behaving hystericalyl about speculation. I mean, his actual title was 2 days ago was “ARSENAL GO VERY BRITISH”. That’s literally the noise around the club in the last week or so.
Assuming Xhakas out of the door then another CM is needed on top of a CAM as it’s probably not wise to rely on ESR. I could see only one coming in, seeing that the likes of Torreira is still on the books.
Bob N16 Arsenal are more than capable of paying top dollar in wages if they don’t have to spend money in transfer market even factoring agents fees and bonus. What do you think that we landed up spending on Aubameyang and Willian last summer? Arsenal are more than capable of matching the wages offered by PSG if they are not paying a transfer fee. I think that you attach far too much importance on Champions League Football. What counts far more is spending power particularly in current economic climate. The only position on pitch where Arsenal might conceivably struggle to… Read more »
CC
No you can google FIFA ratings.
“It’s so annoying that the very season clubs on the continent are in economic tailspin, we decide that’ we have to buy British” It’s just another face of us saving huge amounts of cash in Wenger’s misplaced belief that football was a bubble, about to collapse, leaving Arsenal as last man standing, when the reality was that transfer fees inflated at the fastest pace ever, meaning we wasted most of our potential buying power in the market by sitting on the money. The common thread being poor judgment at the club, and an institutional inertia and lack of ruthlessness that… Read more »
TR7,
Aren’t you the one who always has something positive to say about them spursies? Relax with the superlatives por favor. I also thought their attack with Son, Kane and Bale is going to be up there with the best in the league. Turned out Mouninho is way past it. Selling Kane will hit them good. He has been a massive player for them.
AFC Forever I agree on your points about the evolution of the modern game, there’s little debate on that. Re White, the question has to be is signing him making the absolute most of our resources and the team’s needs/priority positions? In regards to the first point, is it making the most of our resources? Is he the best ball-playing CB available on the market for a 50m price? I cannot honestly answer that but I suspect that you can’t either. Delving into the numbers, Dissenter makes a very valid point that Cristian Romero may well be an even better… Read more »
Emirates
Can you provide a link? They look eerily close to the video game FIFA.
Charlie
Is it though? We all hope that Lokonga is ths real deal but for all we know he could be a massive drop-off from a Partey-Neves too.
We already know thay Elneny is nowhere near good enough over a sustained period.
The Kroenkes are piss poor
Releasing so much money to Edu and Arteta when they’ve yet to prove their transfer adroitness may come to haunt us.
If Sheffield were selling Ramsdale for 5 million, I would consider it an opportunistic punt but to keep going back over and over again for a bang average goalie is rather shameful.
The people in this business cannot regard Edu highly, why else would they have the audacity to tell the Arsenal to add more to a £30 million offer?
“Leno overall 84 diving
Ramsdale overall 74 diving”
Kane’s got them beat easily then.
Ramsdale
Dissenter, Sheffield just needed to watch closely Arsenal’s White negotiations to get their cues
Tom
“Kane’s got them beat easily then”.
I laughed out loud…..
Emirates
Donnaruuma is an unattainable target
He didn’t leave his boyhood club after they qualified for the CL to come an earn £200k weekly Arsenal with no European participation.
I believe he was demanding for crazy wages, more than United are paying De Gea. The package he accepted at PSG makes him the highest paid goalie in the world so I would guess he makes double that 200k weekly you threw out.
You are absolutely right that we can do better that what the tabloid rumor mills are spewing out.
Still yet to get an explanation off of anyone defending the Ramsdale transfer as to how his 43% pass completion rate would work in Tetsball?
Doesn’t that nullify the full effect of the Franz White signing slightly?
Sell Willock, Nketiah, Nelson and AMN quickly
Tom
‘ Dissenter, Sheffield just needed to watch closely Arsenal’s White negotiations to get their cues’
Agreed
That Brighton negotiation set a tone on hiw the window will go. The football management business is s small place and people know people who know people. They argue like lawyers in a courtroom and go out afterwards to unwind over drinks. Things get said off work.
Raptora I agree they will never replace 30goals a season Kane I live it
Who gives a shit who they buy they are still spursy
If we are looking at the more affordable mid
“And we are”
Then John McGinn would be good prospect.
Yes I know we upset Villa with them not
getting ESR.
But I am sure Maitland would interest them in the
position he wants to play.
In a player plus a small cash amount.?Deal?
We’re about to make Aaron Ramsdale the joint 5th most expensive GK ever. To be the backup for Bernd Leno. Way to go ArtEdu! If we sign White and Ramsdale, but fail to buy a top CM + AM, ArtEdu should pack their murses. And for those still claiming selling Martinez was not a colossal mistake or was unavoidable: We should have given Emi the guarantee that he starts the season as 1st choice. He signs an extension. Starts the season as no1. Then, if his form goes downhill, give Leno another chance. Was really so easy to solve, or… Read more »
Wengereagle, I’ m not defending Ramsdale as such but it’s much more difficult to ‘ complete a pass’ when you are hoofing the ball down the pitch, kicking for position rather than a specific teammate!
No White then IM BACK FOR VESTERGAARD.
HAD A REALLY GOOD EUROS..
We need to look at players we can afford
and again we have swap / cash players
Chambers ?
.who Southampton might be interested in
Or even a cheeky bid for Ward Prowse.?
WE
His numbers are so low because Sheffield United go long most the time. I have no idea how good he is with his feet but the numbers aren’t really the best indicator. Leno’s numbers according to Fbref for short and medium passes are 100% and 99.3%. And I wouldn’t call him good with his feet.
“Still yet to get an explanation off of anyone defending the Ramsdale transfer as to how his 43% pass completion rate would work in Tetsball?“
WEagle , what was Dean Henderson’s Sheffield pass completion from the season before if you can be arsed to look up. Because I can’t.
If Leicester conceding more goals the season with Saliba in the line up was proof positive he was shit, then the same logic is good enough for me re Ramsdale.
Kris I believe Arteta gave Emi a 95% chance of starting the opening game of the season. He won’t have been able to give him a 100% of being number one the season because you have to remember that Leno hadn’t done much wrong at the time, besides getting crocked by Maupay. Arteta was dealing with two co-equal keepers and just can’t condemn Leno to being 100% substitute without a glimmer of hope. There had to be some competition over the year at the very least. It was easier for Villa to tell Emi you are 100% our starter because… Read more »
Weagle I take your point, but when the baseline was Ceballos I’m confident it’ll be beaten – less games too so the reliance on depth isn’t nearly as prevalent. Even more so if we recruit players like Neves and Aouar who can play ahead of a single DM and give options to the composition in midfield. Re: Ramsdale’s pass completion percentage.. Ramsdale’s kicking spread last season: Short: 57/59 = 96.6% Medium: 158/161 = 98.1% Long: 343/917 = 37.4% Emi Martinez kicking spread last season: Short: 105/105 = 100% Medium: 387/388 = 99.7% Long: 354/798 = 44.4% Leno kicking spread last… Read more »
Fofana
BobN16/Gbat/Tom/Charlie
Was a little tongue-in cheek that to be fair!
In all seriousness though Bournemouth were a team that played out from the back and his number for them was low too albeit better at 52%.
I don’t know if he’s good with his feet but his numbers don’t seem to indicate it.
Jason Sancho officially signs.
Charlie Where do you get all of that intricate data from? Re the midfield, the baseline was Ceballos sure but we were nowhere close to being competitive for the top 4 last season. Some people were deluding themselves that we were very close as we only finished however many points off of Chelsea (5?) Failing to account for the season being dead and buried after Villarreal and saw us pick up 12 points from 12 while Chelsea were still competitive on multiple fronts and Liverpool were dragging themselves over the line off the back of their injury crisis in defence.… Read more »
United announce Sancho who says his biggest challenge will be living up to Wenger Eagle’s expectations 😉😂
Andy 😂
“You must think some don’t watch football outside England, I have been banging about Musa Barrow from Bologna for about 2 years now.”
Except you didn’t bang about the Atalanta goalkeeper because you didn’t deem it fit to be banged about.
With Sancho on Baird, United are going to get even more penalties awarded to them
This will inflame all those conspiracies even further.
*Sancho on board
Andy
Pressure is on, and I’m not talking about him delivering on his 73m fee and 350k a week wages.
Much more importantly, a man’s Le-Grove reputation is at stake…
I don’t want to join Darianford in the abyss. It’s a dark road back from that, I may just have to steal your LG identity to even get back on!
“Re the midfield, the baseline was Ceballos sure but we were nowhere close to being competitive for the top 4 last season.“ But I wouldn’t predominately put that down to our CM of Partey/Xhaka, it was more acutely down to the inability to create in the final third with players like Laca, Auba, Pepe, Willian offering very little throughout. There’s a reason why our output improved with ESR and Odegaard, despite both being far from the finished article. “Where do you get all of that intricate data from?“ https://fbref.com/en/players/466fb2c5/Aaron-Ramsdale Best pool of game data there is, has more depth and… Read more »
Apparently Maddison’s peeps have told Arsenal to come and get him. Get that deal over the line and we are seriously in the mix for Top4
Sancho, now Varane. Man Utd’s not beating around the bush are they?
United’s big signings tend to flatter to deceive. Let’s hope Sancho is nowhere close to as good as WE tells us he is 😛
Weagle
All kidding aside, what are you predicting from Sancho in his first season?
Charlie
20+ G/A in the PL, up thereabouts leading the league in take-ons/dribbles barring the freak exceptions in Adama Traore and Saint-Maximin that offer much less elsewhere.
One of United’s star men along with Fernandes and Pogba if he is dialed in.
I think that people will be surprised at how good he is.
Leno kicking spread last season:
Short: 265/265 = 100%…..did that include that hospital pass to was it cellabos or xhaka against Aston Villa?
Weagle
Considerable impact then. Be glad to see him in the league honestly, those kinds of players are where the entertainment lies. Obviously prefer if they lose Pogba and it disrupts their midfield.
Dissenter I believe Arteta gave Emi a 95% chance of starting the opening game of the season. He won’t have been able to give him a 100% of being number one the season because you have to remember that Leno hadn’t done much wrong at the time, besides getting crocked by Maupay. — I think Emi asked Arteta for the first game alone and not the whole season. Giving him 100% for the first game isn’t really a bad thing. And contrary to people’s belief, Martinez won’t rest when Leno is still here. I can remember after a game last… Read more »
Excuse me, I’m 5 days behind.
“I left Arsenal thinking about the national team, to be a club-level starter and help Messi win the America’s Cup,” said the goalkeeper.
“Today, Leo hugged me and after the match said to me: ‘You gave me the trophy'”.
My guess is that Madison transfer was no more than a rumour spread to entice ESR to sign. No more about him, then. And does Arteta now need to bring in another midfielder anyway? Even if Xhaka goes. I guess that depends on how and where he uses Ben White. And whether he believes that Willock and AMN (or Elneny and Chambers) can fill in adequately when needed. No doubt there will be an outcry on here if he doesn’t get that magical midfielder (from me too, I guess). But right now I rate a suitable GK a higher priority.… Read more »
Charlie
Same question to you, what will a successful summer look like for us?
If comes the end of the window our business consists of White, Lokonga, Tavares, Neves [example] and Ramsdale, how would you rate that window?
I see what’s happening.
In addition to Ben White, Ramsdale is going to improve us offensively.
Need to improve on your 55 goals per season – our worst GS performance since 95/96 – easy fix – just add a GK and a CB.
I knew Arteta is big brain.
So the media says we can’t afford James maddison but think we are willing to pay £30m for Ramsdale ?
I smell bullshit.
“If comes the end of the window our business consists of White, Lokonga, Tavares, Neves [example] and Ramsdale, how would you rate that window?“ As last season ended I felt the needs for the upcoming one consisted of replacing Odegaard and Ceballos before anything else. After that I saw Saliba/Luiz, Bellerin, Leno, and Laca dictating potential changes. If we bring in: – Maddison for Odegaard – Neves for Xhaka – Lakonga for Ceballos – White for Saliba/Luiz – Ramsdale for Ryan/Leno ** – Abraham for Laca I’d call it a great window. I think you could argue positively for each… Read more »
The media isn’t saying we can’t afford Maddison.
CC, interesting data there… Ben White’s pass completion gets a hammering with his longer passing as well. Is it because he’s bad at it, or he’s passing to small players?
ESR getting a no10 shirt says Madison isn’t happening
Did anyone catch the Olympic opening ceremony? For anyone interested-it was unique and interesting. The highlight-Naomi Osaka lighting the Olympic flame. She really gave those critics of her’s lambasting her for one’s mental health issues and telling her to suck it up- the one fingered salute on this one. 🙂 Same critics campaigning all these years for mental health,suddenly descended on her like a pack of wolves,stating :”She’s paid well,so she should do her job,screw her mental health.” Well,she’s human like everyone else. Loved it today.On a global platform-she gave it to those critics x 1000 PS P.i.e.r.s.-you can do… Read more »
Pedro
So many variables in place for understanding passes via a spreadsheet, one of those that in reality needs a much deeper analysis with some sort of expected value for type of pass, choice of pass, receiving player input etc. (Arsenal has such ridiculous data pools, of that I’m certain).
Rob Holding has good base passing stats, but most of us recognise he’s not prolific at breaking lines, going progressive early, passing under pressure, interplay with midfielders to create angles etc. The club will know that and it’s precisely why Luiz was valued so highly, and Ben White targeted.
London Colney Edu: I still don’t understand why we have to meet here boss,didn’t we train last week? MA: That is your problem my friend, you are too trusting. The english media have their spies everywhere. We can talk safely here,no one will expect us to be working! Edu: If you say so boss MA: We must always be careful, remember what that sneaky Argie did to fat Frank? Come to think of it who is that fat bald man over there talking to the long haired girl? Edu: Eh,boss, that’s Rob Holding and Auba. MA: Ah,I see,dreadlocks back in… Read more »
AlmuniasaynomoreJuly 23, 2021 16:28:02
Love it…
Had me chuckling no end…..
Please do more… 🙂
Mikel Arteta has revealed that Emile Smith Rowe asked for the No 10 shirt – and says it underlines the attacking midfielder’s ambition.
“We talked a little bit, we discussed it and he knows the consequences of that, but he feels prepared to do it and if he is prepared to do it, then I am going to be right behind him to try to make him as comfortable and as happy as possible to do what he wants to do.”
https://www.arsenal.com/news/emile-asked-no-10-it-shows-his-ambition
Almunia is a LeGrove treasure. Top class humor yet again.
LG fan fiction? Interesting turn…
Better than complaining i guess
Seeing that the ramsdale deal is prob falling apart fue to fee. Anyone surprised? 32m is quite a bit too
High for a 2nd choice gk… unless youre chelsea in which case its tiny
Not sure how ESR getting 10 means no Maddison. Maddison has said that he prefers to play as an 8.
I’d be surprisrd if Pogba stays at United, apparently he doesn’t want to sign a new deal. So do they sell him to PSG or let a player of that calibre walk on a free next year (for a 2nd time too)?
What i want to see this coming season is a team that makes every player who questioned coming to us for this project, øde, locatelli etc regret the decision to their very core.
If we dont shake up this soft belly perception we’ve gotten since 2nd half of wengers reign, the refs, pundits etc will continue doing what theyve doing giving fuel to the ding dongs of our support who repeat the ideas of loser fucking pundits like keane and jenas. Its gotta end
Saying they wanna let pogbaleave on a free. Pogba/raiola must be a nightmare behind the scenes
Almuniasaynomore, can you throw a bone to the Legrove “positivistas “ and do one on Emery?
Seems unfair the malcontents only get to have all the fun reading your work.
BTW, as someone who appreciates the off the cuff the humor more than the next guy I’d like to complement the Legrove community for having an above average sense of humor.
Almuniasaynomore being a standout obviously but WEagles’ recent comment on Willian wearing a sports bra to comfort his breast had me in stitches.
good one almunia
Sort of smacks of the sort of thing that will happen
https://metro.co.uk/2021/07/23/arsenal-put-player-up-for-sale-for-15m-to-fund-tammy-abraham-transfer-14980558/?ito=newsnow-feed
Tom,
That’s a very fair point,will do my best. As regards humour your own wit is something that entertains me constantly, you’re right,it’s rare on football blogs so please don’t change. Sarcasm is particularly tricky ,as I’ve discovered more than once ,but you are a master, fair play.
Weagle
If it’s White, Neves, Lokonga, Tavares (c. 110m incomings), then I think par would be 6th-7th, with no real surprise if it were 8th again.
If it’s White, Neves / Locatelli, Lokonga, Aouar / Odegaard, Tavares (c. 140-150m incomings), then par would be 5th-6th.
If it’s White, Locatelli, Lokonga, Maddison, Tavares (about 190m in spending), then I’d see par as 5th, hoping for 4th.
Imagine if Enos Stanley Kroenke’s ‘250m to spend’ was true: would equate quite closely to Ramsdale, White, Locatelli, Lokonga, Maddison, Abraham, Tavares. We could spend that and not even be odds-on for top 4!
When a 20 year old asks for #10 t-shirt, you give it to him and tell him what it means.
Appreciate Arteta on it, credit where it’s due – Edu and Arteta has been pretty much able to tie down the best ones, Saka, Martinelli, Balogun and now ESR.
Almunia
Great piece of work there,but in reality MA might actually be Edu’s boss instead of the other way, everything with is always seeming like joke till we witness it in real time
Charlie “, if you can’t recognise how teenagers withhold a teams potential because they’ve yet to reach theirs then there’s nothing more to say…” Poppycock! Did Cesc hold back arsenal? You can’t just use age as the deciding factor. Because someone hasn’t reached their personal potential, this doesn’t mean that they can’t have had a positive impact to the team! Oh by the way that link to the data site is good. I just wondered if you bothered to look at Fofana’s stats whilst you were there. You know to add credence to your theorum. I did and do you… Read more »
@Pedro “Ben White’s pass completion gets a hammering with his longer passing as well. Is it because he’s bad at it, or he’s passing to small players?” It’s statements like the above that shows your bias. The stats say his passing isn’t that great, and you ask are the players short ??? Why the mental gymnastics? Do you wonder about other players who have good stats that they must be passes to taller team members 😂 This is what people push back on the suspension of reality and a desperate attempt to rationalize data that doesn’t suit the narrative. (… Read more »
Edu reports directly to Josh.
…and Josh listens to Arteta ?