The theme of the moment at Arsenal is the lack of leadership and how every time there’s a tough decision, we seem to shirk it. The greatest example of this was the Arteta land grab after he won the FA Cup, the project went downhill when he was given too much responsibility that he hadn’t earned. He was given control to buy players like Willian, when he should have been slapped down. He made personnel decisions that led to him surrounding himself with a lot of average people that don’t challenge him. He fell out with players, and we held faith that any arguments were in the name of fixing the busted culture we had.
Well, a year on from that decision and things are looking pretty bad, but you know what, you can kind of see why the club might have thought promoting Arteta was a good idea. Watching Edu’s behaviour on social media this summer has been a real eye-opener. If you want to get on top of how tightly a club is run, watch for the details. Which other football exec around Europe is posting his holiday snaps on a public IG feed? Which other exec, after being accurately accused of signing duff players from his super-agent pal, would post pictures of said agent on a boat with him? What sort of person would also share a boat with someone that exited Arsenal under a dark cloud of scandal? Even this weekend, after the mess of a squad he’s put together lost in humiliating fashion, he’s back on his social feeds posting pictures of himself at a BBQ.
That is a lack of control at a leadership level. Once, you can forgive, but we’re at the point where this is a pattern. Edu must know how these things are perceived because his son mentioned it in an interview, but he’s still doing it. I have little expectation that Vinai would say anything, but where is Tim Lewis on this, the ‘adult’ in the room looking after things?
Football is about the details and these things that feel insignificant actually speak to a bigger problem… because at a club run effectively, that behaviour would be snuffed out immediately, especially for a staffer that is underperforming like he is.
To make matters worse, the club has apparently put the finishing touches on a new 5 year deal for Granit Xhaka. Now, I have little problem with the player, he’s decent, he’s a professional, and the performances he’s given us have been good. However, I can’t for the life of me understand what value we are protecting here. He’s at the backend of 28, he’s just had a massive performance at the Euros, and no one came in for his signature. So we’ve tied him down until he’s 34? He already struggles with the pace of the league, did we not have a little more leverage to add a year to his deal? Will we ever stop tying down older players to long-term deals?
CORRECTION: Deal runs to 2024 with the option of 1 more year. Point still remains, are we really protecting value of a player we can’t sell at 28 years old after a banger of a Euros?
Then we get to this goalkeeping issue. We have a child as our backup keeper right now. Our main interest this summer is a £30m keeper that has all the hallmarks of Richard Wright. Namely, he looks decent getting 50 shots powered at him every day, but what does that tell you about suitability in a system where you’ll be dealing with 3 decent shots a game? We don’t have much money as it is, we’ve not added a single creative player to the system, we’re down a striker, a right-back, and a CAM… are we really going to blow that much money on a keeper no one can suss? I can trust the signings of Sambi Lokonga and Ben White because most people smarter than me ran the numbers and said they were good. What the f*ck are our analysts looking at with Aaron Ramsdale to indicate that he is £30m worth of talent in a deflated market that has Onana going for £10m?
Again, this comes back to a leadership issue. How do transfers get done at Arsenal? Who knows. I can see a straight line with Lokonga, White, and Gabriel. But that same system, or process, gave us Cedric, Willian, and Pablo Mari. My guess is there is no system, because let’s be honest, if there’s no operational structure that makes sense, why would there be a transfer process that does? Edu and Arteta are clearly on bad terms, so they’re fighting it out out in the media. It’s embarrassing, but who couldn’t have predicted that at the time when Edu was made to sit on a deck chair and tell the world he liked being cauterised in public?
The more I write about this, the clearer it is to me that the only way we get out of this mess is a restart. This is the 3rd/4th reboot we’ve had at Arsenal. Each one starts with a good idea that we can’t execute properly. We tried the Sven Mislintat approach, but let Raul encroach on the deals. We tried the Raul approach, a man of no football expertise, and he f*cked it. Then we let Edu loose, and he splurged on his mates ‘very nice deals.’ Now what are we trying? What data points led to a Xhaka 5 year deal? Who presented that idea? How did so many people agree to that after he received zero significant bids at the peak of his powers, we should make it more impossible to move him on?
None of it makes sense.
You have to reboot Arsenal with a sale. Because what we have now, unfortunately, is what we are always going to have. Rich owners, that aren’t focused, empowering people of convenience to drive their second biggest asset forward. It’s embarrassing.
Ivan G leaves? Put two CEOs in charge. A wet decision but a convenient one.
Technical Director called Diamond Eyes complains about one of the CEOs not being right? Exit him from the business and trust the non-footballing guy to guide us with his ‘contacts’ approach.
Watch that fail, let said failure hire a Technical Director that has a super-agent repping him because that is not an odd move.
Bring in a family lawyer to check out the CEO Sven warned about.
More dominant CEO gets fired. How can we fix this lack of leadership? Promote the CEO that stood by and let all the nonsense happen. Why? Convenient.
Also… keep the Technical Director that was at the table for all those deals because he’s definitely got what it takes and there’s nothing odd about his signings.
Hire an inexperienced manager and get some immediate success… PROMOTE HIM. LET HIM CHOOSE HIS OWN STAFF. DON’T PUT GUARDRAILS AROUND HIM. LET HIM MAKE DECISIONS ON PLAYERS.
Read those points and weep. KSE doesn’t know how to fix Arsenal. They are throwing money into a pit over and over again and things just get worse.
We are at the point now where the best thing for Arsenal would be a sale. Give the club to Daniel Ek, let him burn the place to the ground, hire up specialists in every position, and rebuild the club the proper way.
It’s a pipedream though, this is our lot in life, and it seems the only way we’re going to get a solve is if we land on one by accident.
I promise, I’ll get back on the hype train tomorrow, but the reality is… even 5 wins in a row won’t mask the errors at our club. We are badly run, the structure is a mess, we are not built to succeed.
WengerEagle
If someone had told me the night of the 2-2 draw at Spurs in 2004 (I got absolutely wasted that day!) that we would get to 2021 having not won the league again, I would have said they need to get sectioned.
What a team that was, it was almost perfect, perhaps it was actually perfect. Such a tragedy it didn’t win a CL.
Happy birthday to Terry Henry.
Growing up in Ireland in the 70’s we had 2 tv channels, both of which were operating 12 hour days. When ‘ The greatest American hero’ hit our screens I thought it was mind blowing. I have been very easy to please ever since. ____ Haha Yep I understand.. Even in America when I was young early 70’s.. we only had 3 maybe 4 channels and they weren’t in color. Rocket ships seemed very advanced and expanded the mind. I think that’s why football appealed to me so much when I was taught the game when I was around 8… Read more »
There’s a better chance of Auba starting scoring again than Coutinho starting to become durable, especially in the PL.
Arsenal didn’t re-sign Ryan because they wanted a homegrown keeper. Ryan even admitted this only a month or so ago
Why o why would we extend xhara contract…
It’s madness shows the club is driven like a two year old on a tricycle…
I’ve washed me hands till it looks like it’s a football club
And getting further away as time goes on too Chris.
We were a top 4 guarantee under AW up until 2016 and now we have finished out of the CL places for 5 seasons on the bounce with back to back 8th place finishes.
We have been run so diabolically that you now have us all touching wood and wearing Rosary beads just to nick a European place.
Imagine if we actually had a competent manager and DOF that oversaw our 600m transfer spend (SIX HUNDRED) these past 5 years. We would likely be up thereabouts with City and Liverpool.
Sal
Gabriel Jesus is valid on the headline potential alone. Arsenal need Jesus
Isn’t it a pity that these guys regret nothing. You can’t regret White for £50m and still be ready to waste more money on a goalie that no one but the three musketeers rates.
Liverpool assembled a CL and PL title winning team of Alisson Becker, TAA, Van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Robertson, Wijnaldum, Henderson, Fabinho, Salah, Mane, Firmino for a grand total of 300-350m.
Having spent close to DOUBLE that figure, we have finished 8th two seasons running now, laughable.
‘Arsenal need Jesus’
Like we all do.
MidWest
That’s why dystopian literature is so depressing because it seems so plausible and in many parts of the world is actual
and Arsenal-related?
Koopmeiners looks to be a very useful, goal-scoring midfielder
forgetting my manners…
thanks for link Mark
Arteta needs to go asap. What you need to realise there’s no ‘learning on the job’ going on. This is it. I can’t recall one instance where it looked like Arteta has learned from any previous errors. None at all. Still making the same shit mistakes with players, still alienating and falling out with players. Same bewildering substitutions and the same ‘ Got no clue ‘ during a game to counteract what’s happening in front of his eyes. Why is it just a year on all these senior players want to leave and get as far away from Arteta as… Read more »
Jesus is not a good striker.
Tom You have no idea how much either player is earning, you only know what you read Having either Aubameyang or Coutinho on a mega contract is a bad place for us to be, but faced with the “only” option of Coutinho or Aubameyang on the left side of our attack, I’d 100% punt on Coutinho’s fitness If we sign Odegaard, we’d only need 22-25 games a season out of Coutinho over the next 2 years Coutinho apparently wants to play at the World Cup, and Barcelona are reluctant to use him, because they’ll have to pay Liverpool another €20… Read more »
Only a year left on Joshua Kimmich’s deal at Bayern with their president saying that he isn’t guaranteed a stay at too high a cost. Shades of Toni Kroos and Alaba off of that one.
Does he fancy a move here to get to work with the generational cone-setter is the question?
Arsenal would sell Jesus for a few pieces of silver
It looks like the gods are not on Eddie’s side…
He’s waited 3 years to have a run of games , his pre season was easily the best out of our strikers, Aubameyang and Lacazette go down with illness ànd Eddie picks up an injury …he must be gutted…i am , as i guarantee that he was ready to do a Willock and take the premier league by a storm, and then there would be none of this “sell Nketiah ” rubbish..
I’d take a plastic Jesus at this stage, sitting on the dashboard of my car.
Jesus might work out, but not sure mike could handle a hot headed player like that….
Certainly not a choir boy like the rest of em
“he must be gutted…i am ”
You’re still gutted that Ozil didn’t call you to say goodbye personally to you, Pierre. You’ll probably be devastated to learn you are not on his Christmas Mailing List!
“Have the triumvirate of Dumb, dumber and Vinai (haven’t found a nickname for him yet) gotten any new ideas?”
Dumb, Dumber and Dumbest? Whichever order suits you sir …
Even Jesus would be like $30 mill for Ramsdale? Not wasting a miracle on that.
“Arsenal need JesusL“
Indeed, everyone needs the Baby Jesus in their lives, especially that Lump of Coal Arteta!
Let us all pray to the Baby Jesus!!!
Under Arteta, Jesus would be 2nd off the bench after the 12 disciples.
I’d just much rather him available to us than Auba who I think is spent.
CC
Are you part of Aubameyang’s inner circle?
“So maybe it is you that is having trouble recollecting” WE our best games last season in terms of the attacking play were V Leeds (H) and the subsequent 2 games. Auba got dropped Vs Spurs for being late and that was the end of that quartet.
LG needs to take this fully on board then report back.
Look the fuck out Chelsea.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1xrNaTO1bI
Our football remains turgid even with Lacazette’s “better ball playing abilities”. Aubameyang up top with the actual footballers behind him would have served us much more better. Contrary to popular beliefs Aubameyang is not a counter attacking no.9.
So, if we end up with Ramsdale and Odegaard and no significant outgoings, can we all agree that this goes down as one of the worst transfer windows in recent times, and we have had some whoppers!!
We was linked with Jesus prior to his move to city…
I personally don’t trust Mateo Beach Bum to do anything right …
Man’s a petulant spoilt brat..
TR
Good on crosses through !
“Are you part of Aubameyang’s inner circle?“
I don’t need to be part of his inner circle to judge his performances in an Arsenal shirt and offer an opinion on what’s likely to come.
Quite a bit different than claiming to know if Coutinho has ‘checked out’, you mug.
Sal…
In theory team looks ok…
But we have more dead timber than Travis Perkins to shift…
So I think we are lumbered…
The extension of xhara us the straw that broke the camels back for me with beach bum…
He’s taking the rise out of us…
Coutinho will come here eventually because he’s another Kia player and Kia now runs the club through his corrupt body Edu
Xhara is only good for doner meat in my eyes…
Let’s put things right…
Edu was a shit second string player… He is a total bollocks DOF… Who couldn’t direct the chicken to the road to cross.
Anyone else actually feel like there is some wider reaching corruption going on in this club? I mean, even beside the whole Kia situation, things like the £10m a year sleeve sponsorship from Visit Rwanda don’t sit well with me at all.
Not only are we shit on the pitch, but I’m not sure we hold up to any ethical standards these days either.
Rich, Actually in the premierships very few players have bonus linked to their appearances or their personal achievement. Most of them are the top earners a la Lacazette, Aubameyang as a way to motivate them extra or increase their wage without officially increase their basic salary. At PSG, the dispute about penalty takers between Neymar and Cavani was about ego but also about finance as they both had a financial incentive to score more goals. Years ago, the FA issued recommendations related to contract and it was in favour of dropping such clauses and replace them with overall team targets:… Read more »
Quite a bit different than claiming to know if Coutinho has ‘checked out’, you mug.
Aubameyang has one bad season, he’s checked out but Coutinho hasn’t played decent football since Jesus was a boy and can’t stay fit but we can’t judge if he’s checked out.
Good work CC.
Matt,
Give this bunch another year or two in charge and the only sponsorship deals Arsenal will attract will be from the Taliban and North Korea.
Tom
And it will be a choice between Lonsdale and Hi-Tec for the shirt deal….
Tom, lol I can see it now, Auba on 300k promoting the new kit in a chrome bumper car. 😭😂
Azed
Coutinho played well for Bayern, and started well for Barca last season before his injury. Just say you haven’t a clue and move on. Your initial dim remark about bringing in an older player was enough without recognising Aubameyang’a own age.
Matt
Arsenal’s management feel that they don’t have to answer to anyone for their actions — whether it is team-related [Spending 50 million on Ben White] or club-related supporting Rwanda
The shorter answer is, “Yes, I feel that same way”
So it’s looking extremely likely that we’ll be closing out the window with Odegaard and Ramsdale.
All in all, we’ll have spent around 130m on Ben White, Sambi Lokonga, Nuno Tavares, Martin Odegaard and Aaron Ramsdale with only Joe Willock exiting so far for a little over 20m.
I’m not judging this window a disaster yet but I find it hard to get excited about this batch either.
If you told me we signed Bissouma, Maddison, Lokonga and Matt Ryan for about the same amount and I would have been ecstatic.
RSPC
That’s heresy Edu was a fantastic midfielder.
Fucking hell. Still with ramsdale for 20 mil rumors? I am honestly baffled by this window. Mainly because if Ramsdale lands it will mean we have recruited a GK and a CB for 70 mil. It is annoying because these two positions would have cost under 10 mil if we recruited a cheap GK and gave a chance to Saliba. Then we could have upgraded on Xhaka for half that. and it would have made us instantly better. Guimaraes/Bissouma+ Saliba+ Ryan instead of Ben white+ Ramsdale+Xhaka was a better bet for me. Anyway I think it is a waste of… Read more »
Tom
Taliban and North Korea sponsorship might be the only way…
to move Arteta — and Edu and Vinai and Willian and Xhaka and Auba and Bellerin and Cedric and AMN and Torriera and Guendouzi and that goalkeeping ‘coach’ and Kolo and others — on
Habesha
I liked the idea of chiellini coming in for a season to mentor Saliba and being replaced by him next season
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bavarianfootballworks.com/platform/amp/2020/7/20/21329423/bayern-munich-analysis-philippe-coutinho-postseason-breakdown-barcelona-liverpool-thomas-muller
Coutinho played well for Bayern, and started well for Barca last season before his injury. Just say you haven’t a clue and move on
CC
I’m guessing Bayern fans also don’t have a clue.
CC
You can also find out what Barca fans think about Coutinho.
On the surface, Philippe Coutinho’s season at Bayern doesn’t seem too bad. According to Transfermarkt, he had 9 goals and 8 assists in 2,067 minutes — a respectable return. Digging deeper into the numbers reveals a sobering truth. Of Coutinho’s entire scorer tally, six goals and five assists came against some of the worst teams in the league — Paderborn (relegated), Düsseldorf (relegated), Werder Bremen (relegation playoff), Augsburg (15th), and Köln (14th). Meanwhile, the rest of his goals and assists came in thumping victories over Tottenham Hotspur (7-2 and 3-1), Red Star (6-0), Hoffenheim (6-0), and Schalke (5-0). In cricket,… Read more »
even the rumours are shit 👎👎
this “football” club.
“His performances were always marred by poor decision-making, ball hogging, and senseless long shots that sailed over the bar. His ability to link up with his teammates was especially poor, as he seemed to prefer to dribble into a line of defenders rather than lay-off the ball to either Robert Lewandowski or Alphonso Davies, both of whom were usually in better positions. As a player he was frustrating to watch, and his plays were equal parts wasteful and selfish. The brief moments of magic couldn’t make up for that.”
That’s Countinho in a nutshell
Azed
Coutinho didn’t perform relative to being the second most expensive player in world football, no shit. But he was a country mile off “Coutinho hasn’t played decent football since Jesus was a boy”, which was your big brain analysis.
He had 20 goal contributions on loan in a setup that didn’t particularly suit him, in 22 starts. That’s doing “well” by any metric. We’ll also ignore the standard required to be integral to Bayern and Barca and pretend like their subs bench isn’t full of players that would start here.
I wouldn’t want countinho starting for us. Is he even fit enough?
This club deserves relegation.
Diss I have not joined the other side I am on Arsenal’s side I am certainly not going to scream and shout and berate anyone that does not think as I do Or try and run them off the blog like a school bully that shit does not work on me. I just think that Mikel has had too many players go against him they can’t all be wrong plus his footie is turgid I want someone who is on the up but has experience.i look at Chelsea with tuchel and think he changed that all around with the same… Read more »
This Fulham manager got them playing exciting football.
Bacray I disagree
He was a second string player …
This is a good game
He had 20 goal contributions on loan in a setup that didn’t particularly suit him, in 22 starts. That’s doing “well” by any metric.
Isn’t it ironic that you think Pepe is shit even though he has had double digits goal contributions since we signed him?
Even Aubameyang that has supposedly checked out managed 15 goals in his worst ever season.
Then again it’s one rule for some, another for others.
Ray+in+LA August 17, 2021 19:01:04 Habesha I liked the idea of chiellini coming in for a season to mentor Saliba and being replaced by him next season Chellini has signed a two year extension with Juve. And he will probably retire there. Anyway the only way to know if a kid is ready was to try him out for a couple of insignificant games. But we didn’t give Saliba that much. That is what pissed me off. I don’t specifically care for the player. But when you pay 30 mil for a player, you would hope we would use him… Read more »
Mike really does take a page from Pep it seems as the team lacks any attacking direction.
Pep would say, my job is to get you to the attacking third and then its hands off, and up to the players.
The problem is that our team sucks in all these areas. They need practice and some sort of identity in attack.
SO it does not matter which attackers we get.
They are on their own.
We dont have world class like City.
No to Coutinho.
When has signing an old player that has lost his fire worked out for us? The upside isn’t worth the risk. With a younger player, there is resale value and quality if it works out. If it doesn’t work out you could loan that player out and he might excel somewhere and recoup the fee you paid. And a young player won’t sit on the bench for money. Rarely does that happen. Willian and David Luiz just showed what Coutinho will be like if it goes wrong. Just sign Odegaard and be done with it.
TR7 ““His performances were always marred by poor decision-making, ball hogging, and senseless long shots that sailed over the bar. His ability to link up with his teammates was especially poor, as he seemed to prefer to dribble into a line of defenders rather than lay-off the ball to either Robert Lewandowski or Alphonso Davies, both of whom were usually in better positions. As a player he was frustrating to watch, and his plays were equal parts wasteful and selfish. The brief moments of magic couldn’t make up for that.”” “That’s Countinho in a nutshell” So it’s settled then…he’s coming… Read more »
It is unbelievably reproducible how every day is worse than the previous one. Honestly, it started with Xhaka renewal, Willock selling, culminated with defeat and overall performance and now Ramsdale rumors are true and it seems we are negotiating Auba-Coutinho swap. Attrocious stuff indeed. Pedro, you wrote by transfering for Ramsdale is either a stroke of genious or mind blowing move.. How on earth, it is going to be a genious move?? Unless Arteta put him as a false 9 and all of a sudden he proves to be a world beater.. We are in dire need for nr10, RB… Read more »
Fabrizio Romano @FabrizioRomano · 52m Martin Ødegaard was at Valdebebas today and will be respectful with Real Madrid as always – serious professional and guy. Arsenal are in negotiations with Real Madrid since weeks as he’s the main target. White circleRed circle #AFC Arsenal and Real are still discussing about the fee for Ødegaard. Odegaard and Lokonga will be the real stand out signings this summer. I honestly think we are signing one of the best young creative midfielders available. Madrid’s inability to stay patient with their talent will be our benefit. And Both these players will be a real… Read more »
Coutinho to Arsenal would be akin to the Willian deal
F’ing dumb
Mikel Arteta’s relationship with Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has become strained recently, while the board’s faith in the manager has started to waver according to reports.
Oh if only that was true 😭
https://theathletic.com/news/arsenal-close-to-agreeing-permanent-deal-for-real-madrids-martin-odegaard/qa5nTtlOl5W2
🚨 Real Madrid and Arsenal close to an agreement for the permanent transfer of Martin Odegaard. Not a done deal but that’s the direction of travel. 22y Norway attacking midfielder didn’t train with main #RMFC group today. W/ @gunnerblog @TheAthleticUK #AFC
Odegaard it is then.
That’s Ornstein.
I assume that is it then. White and Odegaard the 2 starting lineup players of this Summer.
https://youtu.be/GCHK5rfyO2o
So many incisive passes. I think two assists doesn’t do him justice if you watched the whole video. I am excited he is coming.
Raptora,
i don’t think it is the optimal choice, but at least he is quite young, he has potential to develop and come good. Fits with the young core we have already. Price-wise he is expensive, still a fair investment. Keep in mind our current status. Who else would come under the current regime?
And compared to the other rumors i would take him at the moment.
R.S.P.C
‘Edu was a shit second string player’
He was a second-string player behind one of the best midfield duos in the history of the Premier League. He made 30 appearances during our undefeated season and was picked by Brazil for their Copa America winning squad in 2004 and played the entire game in the final victory over an Argentina team that included Tevez, Zanetti, Mascherano etc.
This does not make him shit.
I like ode he has a high ceiling sure he is very left footed but his vision is excellent
“Isn’t it ironic that you think Pepe is shit even though he has had double digits goal contributions since we signed him?“ Nothing ironic about it at all, Coutinho is 5x the player Pepe is in his influence to the attack throughout 90 mins. Fact you want to reduce it purely to output to draw a false equivalency says heaps. Coutinho is on another planet to Pepe in terms of football ability. That season at Bayern where he was ‘terrible’ he was in the 98th percentile for shot creating actions in open play, 83rd percentile the beginning of last season… Read more »
Apparently Barcelona is £1.15 billion in debt. Clubs with far less debt would and have be placed into administration, along with forced relegation. Yet The Arsenal is still Barcelona’s bitch! Is Josh Kroenke running The Arsenal or Hunter Biden?
Happy birthday legend TH14! I have heard a story that he was watching Arsenal playing with Evra, and after a few minutes he swithced it off, because he couldn’t stand watching Xhaka being our skipper. LEGEND
Bacary is correct
edu was class he was just in the team when we had world class players in most positions, he was amazing in the destruction of inter away in the CL in 2004
He would walk into our midfield now
Contrary to Pedro’s incessant weak narrative I don’t think Edu is the problem in the leadership space
He’s not the best we could get as TD but can and has been producing
All fingers point to the saucy one as the weak link
Coutinho at Liverpool was amazing that coutinho is no more injuries have ravaged him
That season at Bayern where he was ‘terrible’ he was in the 98th percentile for shot creating actions in open play, 83rd percentile the beginning of last season pre-injury.
Unfortunately, the supporters of the team he plays for think he’s terrible.
Stats make Xhaka look good
Ødegaard is a massive mistake.
Azed nothing makes xhaka look good god I really hate that player
“Unfortunately, the supporters of the team he plays for think he’s terrible.“
They’re Barcelona fans. Wouldn’t be because he was bought to replace Neymar or anything…
https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/cesc-fabregas-i-signed-for-chelsea-because-barcelona-fans-didn-t-like-me-anymore-a3114996.html%3famp
Fabregas another terrible player.
Odegarrde isn’t what we need sorry…
Arteta behaves as if he were Wenger (good times) and doesn’t appear to realise he’s already in deep shit after one PL game and what he did and not do in the TW thus far….
Ramsdale definitely a resounding no.
Btw Rio Ferdinand is baffled…. why Willock was sold to Newcastle…
it is bloody football not basketball. I will never get it, why do you pay so much attention to stats? In most cases, it is just used by agents and managers to pump players’ value. I do believe some of it is useful but by no means it should act as criteria for buying them.
Odegaard somehow feels a little bit underwhelming given his mixed form here last season, would have preferred Aouar or Maddison but here we are.
Still a shit summer overall if we spunk 30m on Ramsdale.
Oh. No to Coutinho too.
GK
rb-white-gab-kt
sambi-partey
saka-ode-esr-
st
boom
No idea about Aouar’s alleged off field issues but technically more like what we needed than Odegaarde, especially at half the price apparently.
Odegaard is better than nothing but not so enthused by this potential signing given the other names we’ve been linked with.
And can we wait until Lokonga plays well in a competitive game for us before proclaiming him the fix for our CM woes alongside Partey?
Azed
Don’t be down on data
We are tied on points with Man City and only separated by the narrowest of goal differences
Odegaard only somewhat underwhelming because of the Maddison links for me, he’s a super young player. Major but…. That’s our XI the same as last season plus Ben White if that deal goes through, which is nowhere near the progressive overhaul expected. Ramsdale does nothing to move the needle either so his signing is irrelevant on that basis, albeit very necessary given the state of our GK options. Can’t for the life of me see what ‘extra’ moves we make beyond Odegaard and Ramsdale. Tammy looked such an obvious one, and one that would’ve helped a lot imo. But no… Read more »
Factoring in a couple of likely further signings, perhaps we’d try stocktake where say the expected 70 or so goals would come from…. 🤔
Aubameyang is fed up and disillusioned, just like the rest of us. If you’re an elite athlete, as he is, if your mind isn’t right, your body will react adversely.
Aubameyang has not fallen of the precipice, as some may think, it’s all down to his psychological wellbeing. Physically, he may also not have fully recovered from his bout of malaria. Whatever his situation, being around Arteta is enough to drive anyone to despair.
I feel like we needed a bit more dynamic player than Odegaard. He is on a good level, I don’t question that. But I don’t like how slow our attacks are with him in the team. He doesn’t feel as dangerous with or without the ball as the likes of Bruno and Maddison. He’ll have to develop his attacking game quite a lot in order to be successful here. He is Ozil Jr and not even close to his level atm. Maybe what he lacks in skill, he’ll make up in desire.