This is a huge week for the Arsenal project because there are two very different games that are both very, very important.
Firstly, the kids have to put on a good show in the League Cup. There’s a huge reason for them to show up and make a show of it. This is the main opportunity Patino, Omari, Balogun, and Hein will get to impress the coaching staff. Win this and they are rolling like a peak-Wenger team, lose and they’ll be banking on an injury crisis or a late loan.
Arteta has to find a balance. We need to give minutes to periphery players that will be needed. Managing a squad requires that you make everyone feel included so if there’s an injury, they are motivated to jump in. So that means we’ll probably see Tavares, Holding, and Chambers. We’ll also need to see the kids, especially without the Europa League. The next generation needs a taste. It’s also a massive game because you want to go into the Spurs game on a high.
The North London Derby always has extra sauce on it. Nuno started well on paper, but the performances were never there. Now the results are matching the performances. Still, he’s a very, very capable manager as we’ve felt in years gone by. I still have no idea how he beat us with Wolves last season. The squad he has is very good, Harry Kane and Son LOVE playing against Arsenal, form absolutely means nothing in these games.
What do we want? An answer to their weaknesses. A plan to nullify their strengths. A powerhouse performance and some points.
Arsenal are upping their PR game. Better late than never. This week, they’ve rolled the MIGHTY Per Mertesacker out to the fans and they’ve done it in the shape of new media, allowing The Beautiful Game Podcast chaps to spend some time with the Academy Manager.
The interview is absolutely superb. It’ll do more to shape Arsenal fan expectations for the season than anything they could put on the dot com or via Sky Sports. TV runs a 10 minute segment and the expectation is a soundbite that can power a viral tweet or article. The Arsenal situation is complex. Complex ideas need time. An hour podcast is the perfect place to talk things over. Good intentioned hosts work well for this sort of thing.
Per comes across as relaxed, honest, and inspirational. I love his German/Hale-Ender accent.
Key points:
- He’s quite brutal about our reality: this is still a transition. Instant success is what everyone wants, but that’s not reality and people need to temper their rage
- He backs the vision the club is undertaking and trusts Arteta to deliver it
- He thinks he’s making a difference to the kids he’s bringing through
This is the sort of thing Arsenal should do more of. Tell it to the fans straight, let us digest it, and we’ll come around to it if the idea is good.
We can’t compete with mega signings the way City, Chelsea, and United operate. If you can’t outspend your rivals, you have to take a different strategy that works with your means (we are still a very rich club). The one we’ve adopted now is the best way for us to get back to the top. It’s basically the Dortmund model on steroids.
- Put strong emphasis on having an elite academy, because fans love their own, and it’s good for the story of the club
- Hoover up top youth talent from around Europe by offering them a path to the first team that is more rapid than our rivals
- Spend your big dollars on elite sub 23 years old players that know the league
- Build consistency of style top to bottom with your football by bringing through a future proof style of play
You can have all the above process, vision and ideas in place, but you work for Arsenal, so you have to win and show that the project has signs of life. I personally think we’re seeing that already, but the communications around the project are still extremely helpful because…
If fans don’t know what is going on, they fill the void themselves which leads to people getting angry we’re not in for Jack Grealish. There’s a weird subculture that is very vocal online that have clearly been influenced by FUT and Football Manager who get absolutely irate if the signings that are made don’t match exactly to what they think is elite. Look at the rage at Tomiyasu over Emerson Royal. Look at the behaviour around Aaron Ramsdale. Still, look at the lusting for Aouar over Odegaard. Every club in Europe passed on him, but still, people bang his drum after Odegaard wins the game at the weekend.
You can’t stop that, but you can tell fans what the thinking behind signings is and how you came to those decisions. Ramsdale made zero sense until Arsenal fans started speaking to rival fans about him. Then it became clear he’s an elite communicator, has outrageous energy, is superb at distribution, and he’s a towering figure in the box. Couldn’t Arsenal have been a bit more explicit about this?
If fans are brought into the mixer, mostly, they will shape the way they behave around what they hear. Prime example of this is how the fans home and away have reacted to the team this season. The fans know that they are dealing with a Project Youth of sorts, they know that young players need their support in the bad times, they know if the kids feel confident, they will give more on the pitch.
These types of comms humanise the project. When you work with talent in advertising, the normal folk see them as gods, and create ideas of what they are like, and they can be vicious when things go wrong. Arsenal do a poor job humanising what is going on at Arsenal, but it’s getting better. A fan Q&A on the Youtube made Mikel look less robotic. This Per Mertesacker podcast really brought you into the club and it felt personal and warm. Transition is painful, always, but communications can soften it.
So anyway, I loved the podcast. Arsenal are slowly getting their shit together and letting the vision architects talk about what they are doing. It’s a good thing, even if the message isn’t TOP 4 TODAY.
Right, on that note, take a watch of my video with Matt and maybe listen to the podcast.
It’s 16 players not 10 Pedro but now I’m nitpicking. Either way, winning the World Cup and getting 100 caps can be used as supporting evidence to give Mertesacker credibility but as IQ showed with Ozil, it can’t be the only reason. After all, Ozil won the World Cup and had 94 caps but do we really trust his judgement based on the way he conducted himself. The key factor is the professional way Mertesacker conducted himself on and off the field during his career supported by the high standard of play he achieved for club and country.
Pedro: “‘Sack the manager’ is basic fan talk and doesn’t solve the problem.” Is it why you pushed for Wenger and Emery’s removal? I guess it’s different for Arteta. All kinds of excuses brought from the ethereal. Everyone knows that sacking the manager doesn’t solve the problem. You just need to look at Pool before and with Klopp /first title won in 30 years/. Spuds with Poch /top 4s and UCL final/ and without Poch /6th and 7th/. Chelsea before and with Tuchel – that one was a huge contrast in the same single season. Manure will be next in… Read more »
DivineSherlock: “Raptora Honestly mate , if you think we are that bad , you need a reality check .”
I said between 8th and 10th. We finished 8th two seasons in a row. Yet you think I need the reality check??? LOL
Klopp at his hiring : If Liverpool don’t win the PL title in the next four years then I will have failed”
Arsenal at the start of Arteta’s take two : we don’t want to talk about the table right now, we just want our players to stay fit and gel.
*The likes of Dortmund AREN’T sentimentally attached to managers.
DS
“””:CG I would say 5th would he really great with this squad , opportunity next season”””””
You dont spell fortunes not to be in the CL
You finish 5th this season
You will finish 8th the following season.
( see West Ham and Leicester already distracted and dropping points)
Dunno what winning a world cup has to do with anything to be honest.
I’m sure not many here would like Thierry Henry as manager yet he has won everything in the game.
If the vision is judged by what one has won then Arteta shouldn’t be the manager. He doesn’t even have an international cap.
CG: “Arteta aint getting us CL EVER so the Arteta Years a complete waste of time ,energy and money.”
The painful truth. But let’s keep it shut and trust the process. The process that just moved goal posts. It went from UCL cup in 3 seasons, to possibly top 4 in 3 seasons. And we are believing this bullshit. Jeezz…
Pedro, The strategy is sound. The jury is out on the players, but that would always be the case. No amount of Football Manager fantasies can change the fact that transfers are unpredictable and some will work out while others won’t. It is what it is. The manager has had more than enough time but again, it is what it is. I pretty much have two hopes for the next 5-6 games. One, that we beat the Spuds. Two, that the club makes Arteta accountable not just for long term success but short term results as well. It’s all good… Read more »
I hold my hands up and proclaim, I like Brighton and Hove Albion.. You all knew that anyway.
They’re my local team and it’s great to be a part of a community based club that are lying in a CL position and are putting themselves well and truly on the footballing map.
They know what they’ve got and where they’re going. They have a clear vision Just a few seasons ago they were playing to 4000 at the Withdean in the third tier of English football.
Arsenal on the other hand,…..
I guess this new two to three years timeline is due to his inability to qualify for the Europa league, so he’s hoping to get in the Europa next year and hopefully win it. He isn’t finishing top four in this league and he knows it. His teams don’t score enough goals
TR7
“””””Rubbish !! We have absolute liars and bullshitters running the club.””””
Most clubs have these types.
Our problem is that our lot are bloody useless as well.
Mmmm….so if Per’s ‘wait 2 to 3 years’ is correct, what’s going to happen ? Players like White, Ramsdale, Lokonga etc will be snapped up by teams such as City, PSG, Barca, Madrid etc, by then if they’ve stepped up and become very good players, so we’ll have money but won’t be able to attract ‘top’ names so will be back in the ‘up and coming’ bin for players to build and sell again. It works in Germany for Dortmund and Leipzig because Bayern apart, German football is not great quality. Same with Ajax, apart from PSV there’s no one… Read more »
RH: “a club where the manager has no targets going into the season.” Exactly that. They’ve made their bed nice and comfy. Moved goalposts and the fans are off their back. I’m just hoping that the bulk of our fans will voice their frustration when this charade inevitably fails and bad results start to pile up. Truth is that their move is a genious one. I don’t see them sacked this season and probably not next one either, unless they completely fuck up to epic proportions. And the chances for that to happen are not that high. The chances that… Read more »
Graham, not even sure a Brighton fan would try and shit on Per Mertesacker to score points. Really shoddy
Who saw the Patino vid?
https://twitter.com/prime_brodie/status/1439906771183849475
Mmmm….so if Per’s ‘wait 2 to 3 years’ is correct, what’s going to happen ? Players like White, Ramsdale, Lokonga etc will be snapped up by teams such as City, PSG, Barca, Madrid etc,
Easy there tiger.. Don’t get ahead of yourself.
Truth is that their move is a genius one.
Yes you have to compliment them there, it was well played.
Raptora, your hysterical commentary today is why clubs find it so hard to be honest about what is going on.
There is nothing laughable about the project, but here you are, slating it with no counter idea.
I remember Pedro saying how we’ll win the EPL in 3 years after Wenger is sacked and the UCL in 5 years. My memory might be tricking me, correct me if I’m wrong.
How did we go from that ambition to whatever we are right now?
It seemed Partey was asked to play a modified roile on Saturday to protect Ben White. He had tuck in between or close to Tomiyasu/White when we didn’t have the ball.
Why spend so much on a defender who’s not going to influence the game from day one?
Partey was already more injury prone from covering for Xhaka’s lack of athleticism and now he has to also cover for White’s weakness?
Expect more Partey injuries this season.
TeeCee, it works both ways. If it works, players sign. If it doesn’t, we always have top players to sell to reboot the process.
Actually correction-8 listed under German, 3 East Germany/Germany and 4 West Germany so 15 ‘German’ players with 100 caps. Ozil would have made 16 but he retired.
The problem with a strategy like this is that there are many clubs doing exactly what we’re doing and serving up football that is at least as good as what we’re offering. Football is ultimately entertainment and if you can get the same for a quarter of the price that Arsenal charge why would any neutral or would be fan come and support Arsenal. Older fans might buy into this out of loyalty to their team but unless the football improves drastically the ticket prices and the stadium is going to become unsustainable. How many youngsters (whose parents aren’t forcing… Read more »
IQ, who are all the teams doing this? We have the youngest starting 11 in the league. Burnley had the oldest.
Now that Per has spoken how soon before Arsenal roll out Doris the tea lady.
I’d like to hear from her too.
Pedro
Patino looks an absolute beast. The thought of him pulling the strings alongside Partey behind Saka, ESR and hopefully Balogun is mouthwatering. Let’s hope his ascent is rapid.
bacaryisgod I am pretty sure Arteta and Edu DID initiate what is essentially Project Youth from the beginning. Josh, Vinai, ,Edu and Arteta must have discussed, planned and agreed the deal before offering him the job. Not the minute detail, but the aim and direction. In fact, they pretty much voiced all that at the start. Evidently you weren’t listening. What would you have them say to us? We have a bunch of overpaid uncommitted ageing misfits?We all knew that anyway. Or, even worse, we plan to get rid of all of them as soon as we can? Of course… Read more »
A Wenger in his 20 plus years of superlative management for the club never uttered the words ‘project’ or ‘process ‘ ONCE
Too busy doing his day job, which was making sure the team every season was competing in the CL and putting out a team every weekend that the punters looked forward to watching.
Maybe Arteta/Mert/ Edu should try that.
Bacary, I’ve had player agents telling me he’s the big bet and Arsenal are very hyped about him.
Pedro, you running with player agents? you big time bruh!
CG, apart from Project Youth and Project British Core and spending 10 years selling us on the longterm nature of the project.
Pedro
Per was crap when they won the WC in 2014, that’s why he was dropped.
Sorry but it’s true..
Pedro, Problem is, if after another 2 years we are 5th or 6th, are players going to sign on again if there’s an offer on the table from a successful team? Would Arsenal turn down a big offer for them? I’m not so sure. If we can win a cup then maybe it would give the players confidence the team as a collective can work……but it’s a long shot. I like some of the summer signings a lot (not White) but I still think if we had signed Bissouma, someone like Dunk, Tomiyasu, and Ode, supplément them with a decent… Read more »
Lets say for the sake of argument arteta turns the ship around and we start seeing spine discipline and goals consistently.
What does it take for the most anti arteta person to come around and consider supporting the clubs manager as well as the club? Champions league? PL title? Turning the ship around alone?
Hes got strengths and weaknesses, personally im at the point where I just want to see a few more games before
I think about it anymore
Youngest team, oldest team, who cares?
My concern is who’s teaching these youngsters.
Bacary,
That would be something. I’ve been hearing rumours about this kid for a couple of years now. This was the first time I saw him in action. No idea where he stands on the scale of Bendtner-to-Cesc when it comes to youth products. But I’d give my left nut for another Cesc right about now.
I can actually see Arteta getting us in the Top 4 if I really squint my eyes to the future. Klopp leaves Liverpool, Guardiola leaves Man City and Solskjaer stays at United. One of those teams could Somewhere a slot might open up.
Haha
zach,
top 4… nothing less to start.
150 Million this summer. top 4 or bust for me…
you cannot drop 150 million and not move from 8th to 4thish….
how long does he have? I mean this is getting ridiculous… end of season we shall see… not more fucking excuses. Im sick of this shit
Might not be as long as you think bacary
End of the season top 4 it is.
I guess its possible.
Id be happy w some stretches of really fucking good football and 5 or 6 i suppose. Depends if we spend in jan and sell of more dross
Bacary,
I don’t see anything happening to City when Guardiola leaves. They have too much institutional competence built up and an owner who wants to win. Liverpool could mess up for sure. Their rise has been much more manager driven and they have cheap owners. Their US teams are successful but I get the sense they’re not really willing to invest as much as they need.
Graham, the young players are all fanatical about Arteta, hence every single one signing a new deal. Doesn’t really matter what your concerns are, they are all bought in.
Patiño- shades of Brady and Wilshere,can’t say fairer than that!
Chelsea, City and Liverpool are nailed on for top 4, can’t see that changing in the near future. There’s one place up for grabs and it should be between us and Yahnited, hard to even imagine it with Xhaka, Pepe and some of the defenders we still have stinking the place out.
If we have another 125m spend next summer, then it could happen, otherwise it’s hard to see how it happens,
We have a lot of highly promising ‘creative’ youngsters at the club but I don’t believe we have much in the way of defenders/defensive midfielders.
Pele played for Santos aged 15.
He was a full international at 16.
Harvey ELLIOT WHAT A REVELATION 18
Our Charlie PATINO 17
“If your good enough step up Elliot has proved that.”
Age does not come into it.?
Bob, I’m fully on the hype train
englandsbest: “I am pretty sure Arteta and Edu DID initiate what is essentially Project Youth from the beginning. Josh, Vinai, ,Edu and Arteta must have discussed, planned and agreed the deal before offering him the job. Not the minute detail, but the aim and direction. In fact, they pretty much voiced all that at the start. Evidently you weren’t listening.”
They voiced Willian coming in to lift the UCL trophy in 3 years time. A year later, they are talking about no top 4 in the next 2-3 years. It really seems that you have selective hearing/reading.
Pedro, easy to get excited when you hear about a talent and then see why people are beginning to hype him. There are always players who seem destined for stardom, JET and Bentley come to mind, who don’t make it but when you’ve got Saka and ESR showing the way, it makes it feel more likely.
Early days but Biereth looks a real prospect, Omari Hutchison, Azeez seem to have the talent. Just saw Khayon Edwards highlights in the U18s, he already looks too good for that age group. Plenty to be excited about.
Raptora, do you think Arsenal have not changed direction with the incomings this summer? Is it ok to change tack?
Pedro
I wonder how many of the posters today have actually listened to the Per Mertesacker interview.
Emirates, if people listened to it, they’d not call it ‘PR DRIVEN’… it’s a very honest interview over an hour. Really good stuff from the TBG Pod.
Ah that it explains it Graham62, you’re not and clearly never been an Arsenal supporter — something I’m sure most of us suspected in the first place
Watched Patino play for the u23s and YT also does a great compilation
This lad is so exciting – still think he’s a CAM but if he could play with Ode in a Partey – Patino- Odegaard trio this would be incredibly progressive
ESR would then need to play left flank
Just need to find a CF and we’re away
Top quality interview. Excellent questioning.
“”””150 Million this summer. top 4 or bust for me…”””
Well said G of SF.
And the lanky German is saying Top 4 aint on the cards for a few seasons yet?
What does he want the Qataris to take over and give them another £150 000 000?
Well how come , A.Wenger did it for X 20 Successive Years!?
Pedro
I think that Mertesacker has a very good understanding of how to build a successful programme in the Academy and what it takes to transition to the first team.
No doubt the usual negative posters will choose to call him a “generational manager/coach”
like they do with Arteta.
CG — do you dis all popular ex-Arsenal players to prove your point?
Once the African cup is over, and we have Partey, Elneny, Aubameyang, and Pepe back We should send Patino + Balogun out on loan to pick up 15-20 games, doesn’t matter where, as long as they get consistent/ competitive football Smith Rowe went from saving Huddersfield from relegation, to taking the No10 shirt inside less than 12 months With Elneny, Lacazette, Nketiah all leaving, we should have two internal replacements lined up Tie Saliba down to a 5yr deal, then let go of one of Mari or Holding Ramsdale 23 Tomiyasu 22 Tierney 24 Tavares 21 Saliba 20 Gabriel 23… Read more »
Bob, I said what I think about this day 1 bullshit on the 1st page. No, I don’t think it’s ok to change tack. A manager that leads us to 8th and 8th shouldn’t get a 150m then dodge the question of what are our goals for this season and say how all he wants is to see this team play. Same manager that promised Willian a UCL cup in 3 years, along with Edu fabricates a new “strategy” that involves young players playing together for years before they go on and challenge for trophies. Arteta bullshitted Willian and is… Read more »
Matt
“”CG — do you dis all popular ex-Arsenal players to prove your point?””:
No.
Just pointing out this lot are all:
wannabees
polished PR performers
done absolutely nowt in the game as coaches/managers
on the gravy train.
Lets see Mertesacker prove his credentials at Luton / Lincoln in the English lower leagues first before he opens his BFG gob.
George Graham and A.Wenger earned their stripes before they came to the club and started gobbing off.
So Raptora you’re saying they changed tack so Arteta would essentially be allowed more time.
If Arteta doesn’t get a tune out of these players (top 6.?) he’ll be gone. He could be gone before Xmas. We are where we are and I don’t think you should get too worked up by the plan that now seems to be in place. Arteta is very much in the spotlight, he’s a couple of bad results away from a crisis, If we perform against Spurs, different story.
Anguissa with another blinding display for Napoli’s 0-4 win vs Udinese. We kept Xhaka for him.
Bob, Do you honestly believe that they haven’t lowered the pressure on Arteta tremendously with the recent PR action? I’m not sure he’s a couple of bad results away from a crisis and I’m very much in doubt he’ll be sacked if we don’t finish in top 6. Mike McDonald said in the post couple of games away he’d be okay with another 8th if we play better than last season. How well can you play if you end up after the likes of West Ham, Leicester, Spuds and a year ago Wolves? I believe that Arteta could actually lose… Read more »
We will not score many goals this season. We don’t have what it takes to win 1:0 in every game – you need experience for that. We won’t be defensively stable to get clean sheets on the regular.
Where do people see our goals coming from I’ve no idea. I read Rich and he talks about Bukayo + ESR + Ode to give us a total of 50 goal participations. This is beyond obscene and absolutely insane. My prediction is that they will not score more than 15-18 goals total in the EPL.
Barcelona now playing like peak Stoke to snatch a point against the mighty Granada.
Think Koeman is getting sacked before Arteta for sure.
“””””we could have played a blinder on the transfer market. And we totally missed it. We could have been fighting for top 4 this season.'”””””
This lot Raptora aint got the bottle to spend the club resources to fight for top 4 this season.
They want to hide behind their processes.
They bought players to play for time and to keep them in their highly paid jobs.
They dont intend to compete. Because they cant
Jam Tomorrow FC.
And that as always is The Truth!
And it hurts , like it always does.
Raptora
Why are you quoting Mike McDonald as if he is an inside authority?
He has.no more idea than the rest of us how long Arteta will be safe for if we keep losing
CG: So that’s a yes then
No doubt you complained at the time that GG managed ‘only’ Millwall before he was hired as Manager of AFC.
Nice to see you back Rich
Apart from Pedro’s great posts, you haven’t missed much —: this place has been like a digitised version of that geezer and his gloomy placard wandering up and down Oxford Street the past week or two
Raptora, you paint it as a conspiracy. It doesn’t add up to that for me. If the results are not good enough, Arteta will be gone.
Pedro “Ish, he wasn’t fired for missing out on top 4 by a whisker, he was fired for continuing to tank into the next season with uninspired coaching, zero influence with execs, and a group of players that hated him.” He was branded a failure for missing out on top four and losing a european final. There were many posters on here maybe including yourself that said he should have been sacked after the Europa League final. The knives for him were already being sharpened at the start of his second season. The attitude towards him was poor straight after… Read more »
you know what I like about the players we’ve brought besides the obvious? that slight look of madness in the eyes, Tommy’s interview was so revealing. they’ve been wedding out the soft touches and I love it. That’s some back line we have now and it’s just getting started. unfortunately the more experienced front line has decided to spoil the party. fingers crossed they don’t go completely missing this season. I’d imagine now the back end is done we’ll be getting some sexy attackers next summer. might be a lot easier to do so also given a lot of attacking… Read more »
Raptora you’re one tedious cunt
Northbanker,
I know he’s not an insider. But he voiced an opinion that it feels like many will agree with now after another Arsenal PR that had the idea of lowering all expectations and pressure.
Bob,
I hope so.
Matt B Arsenal’s been in my blood since I went to my first ever game at Highbury in 1969. My father, my grandfather and my great-grandfather were all gooners. Like other stalwarts on here I’ve seen many ups and many downs. I’ve been to hundreds of games, that’s right hundreds! Do I love my team as much now as I did 40, 30; 20 or even 10 years ago?……..No, I probably don’t but that’s got to do more with the failings of the club to act on the obvious rather than my admiration and respect for what Brighton have achieved.… Read more »
Matt B
What’s your historical connection to the club?
Based on your comments, I sense you’re a freshman.
Graham62 – same age (nearly) and same timing (almost) of entry into AFC
Only difference is that I didn’t have a family legacy of Gooners
I envy you that – would have made my life a lot easier
TC
We also have nearly half as many games, half as many chances for injuries…
Raptora
September 20, 2021 21:41:09
I think it’s the best comment I’ve read on this blog for along while. Well said.
Rich,
“I don’t buy the argument Arteta can get away with another 8th place finish though, with no European football, Europa League qualification has to be the minimum requirement, it’ll be tight and go to the wire, but I’m confident we’ll get over the line, 69-74 points is a realistic target”
I’ll hold you up to this statement at the end of the season; minimum of European competition
““Ish, he wasn’t fired for missing out on top 4 by a whisker, he was fired for continuing to tank into the next season with uninspired coaching, zero influence with execs, and a group of players that hated him.””
Frame this comment for reference
Arteta offered contracts to most of the players that hated Emery, thankfully, Mustafi declined
Pedro used to write that he would have fired Emery even if he had won the Europa league final, such was the contempt he had for that Spaniard.
@Pedro “the young players are all fanatical about Arteta, hence every single one signing a new deal. they are all bought in.” No shit Sherlock, you bought into this Arteta love song what do you expect from 18-20 year old ones that have far less of a life experience and are easily to be deceived. You make the assumption that they and their agents or teams also buy into the Arteta BS, may be good for a few years, however,they want profits from transfers and couldn’t give a shit about AFC. As we all know this schoolboy crush always ends… Read more »
Bunemdia / Buendia
Bernardo Silva has also rejected Arsenal.
“We also have nearly half as many games, half as many chances for injuries…”
_________________________________________________________________________
This logics is not correct. For half as many games, the players will be better rested. They’ll have even less injuries.Also there is a higher chance to get COVID-19 if you travel a lot.
MD, my friend, you are painfully negative about everything. You know what happens to negative Nancy’s? No one wants to have a beer with them. Don’t be Nancy
Diss, remember, you don’t know anyone in football and I do. I would have fired him because I knew what was going on.
Mustafi wasn’t offered a deal.
Emery’s was pulled when the club realized the truth or Emery.
Pedro, Hoovering up talent around the world like Bellingham?, who was how far away? Sven should have been the one who stayed. Also, we couldn’t communicate why we wanted Ramsdale. Price would’ve gone up even more. We knew last year Leno wanted out, and sellers all probably knew we were looking to replace him. Can’t give away bargaining positions to make the cr€tins (some) on le grove and twitter happy … they would still have been spewing bile about Aaron, same as they did without knowing he wasn’t a backup. I said it here and elsewhere, we were not bidding… Read more »
Nigel, we were never close to Bellingham. The kid turned down every club in England to go to Dortmund. He wasn’t a secret.
I’m talking about sharing the Ramsdale insight after.
‘If the results are not good enough, Arteta will be gone’
What does not good enough mean? The club has already admitted it has no particular targets by which to evaluate its performances and the PR this season has been all about lowering expectations.
So does not good enough mean 5th…7th….12th…?
It means so bad that edu and Arteta can’t hide behind the youth of the players as an excuse – but that’s likely pretty low because the club is going to run hard with that excuse this season
MD-Gunner Lets give the new signings a bit more credit. They are not dumb and Arsenal will give them good cash plus they know Arteta will play them. What they actually think of Arteta is pure conjecture whether it is Pedro’s mad crush narrative or your dumb-struck kid story. We need the XP guys to go anyway, don’t see the harm. You want Xhaka to be so convinced to stay? I don’t like Arteta-ball. It is the antithesis of Wenger-ball. But no choice, Arteta is here not Wenger so I will make do. As long as we are winning. I… Read more »
China, they are driving at top 4 this season. If he finishes 5th or 6th and things trend upwards, he’ll probably stay.
The main thing that will decide whether mikel stays or goes will be the ticket sales. Keep selling expensive tickets to show shit football, and it’ll end only one way.
Though it’s sad that matchdays are a way to get away from work life and enjoy a couple hours with your mates, and the club have absolutely taken advantage of that
with a shiny new badass striker like the swedish kid and no european football at all for the 2nd half of the season, top 4 doesnt look so far off
The mertersacker interview is another PR stunt. That’s the truth Per can be honest and talk with passion about the youths but once the first team is mentioned, the key words come up again, process, time, for the future and so on. Every one has been sat down and explained how to talk about the first team and I think this has been done for the amazon documentary. They need a story line and the story line for arteta and mikel in the docu is all about youth and process and the future. All or nothing has to sell a… Read more »
for arteta to be fired, he’d have to -lose the dressing room -play shitty football w shitty results post 150m in investment he hasnt lost the dressing room despite a lot of talk the first three games were shit we know that. the last two havent been on that level, we’ve won and gotten some confidence back that should never have been lost. covid and injuries fucked our august big time but if the play goes anytwhere close to august levels senor arteta will not last long is my guess. table positions…i can’t imagine the club being happy to not… Read more »
not a bad shout gonsterous, but if the results keep up with the documentary vision of process project etc. maybe it gives everyone something to close ranks around and build some spirit out of.
ultimately the results will tell the story
wouldn’t be surprised if bits of that interview are used in the amazon doc. its a solid interview. Per’s a homey.