I don’t need a POWER MAC 7000 built for the elite designers of the world when I’m at work, but I ask for one because I’m at that stage in my career where that is my god-given right. I use two programs, e-mail and notes to write things. How can I have a machine of this power and it cannot run those two items concurrently? Who is building the Apple Mac that can handle an e-mail program? I would buy that machine.
That does not segue me into any sort of Arsenal content. So let’s get cracking.
BIG MO has signed another extension at Arsenal. I think most people that have watched him this last month can concur a few things:
- The guy has improved his game, he takes more risks with his passing, he executes tactics really well, he can do a job (99th percentile for pass completion).
- Our collapse this season wasn’t anything to do with him.
- If he’d played Palace, Southampton, and Brighton we might have exited with more than zero points
Arsenal fans are going to need a bit of maturity this summer when it comes to assessing our squad needs.
- There are finite funds
- Not every player in your squad can be competing for a first-team place
- We need some experience
Mo Elneny played 800 minutes this season. Of the last 7 games in which he clocked pure 90s, we won 5 of 7. Those wins included West Ham, Chelsea, and United. Out of the other two games, one was against Spurs in which we went down to 10 men. The other was the Newcastle game, in which he made 35% of all our progressive passes that day.
This is his radar.
Mohamed Elneny is the definition of fine backup.
I do wish Arsenal didn’t spend as much time signing our backups to extensions. pic.twitter.com/QpcA1fJt5O
— Scott Willis (@oh_that_crab) May 25, 2022
He is good enough. Europa League is not the Champions League. The Egyptian Pirlo in that competition will be absolutely fine.
Bigger picture here is what do people want from that position? What level of player do people see us signing that will be happy with 800 minutes? Someone said to me the other day ‘GUNDOGAN’… like, come on man, you think he’s coming to Arsenal to take over from Big Mo?
We need to save pennies where we can.
Eddie signing on for us could be absolutely huge and another penny saver. This is how League One Eddie stacks up against players in the top 5 leagues in Europe.
This is who his numbers compare to in Europe.
I still have people in our Youtube videos saying ‘HE’S NOT GOOD ENOUGH’ and that my friends is addiction to the new. They’d rather us sign someone from the Austrian League that has a nice comp than the kid in our starting 11 dropping numbers like that at 22 years old. It is BAFFLING. There are definite benefits to unearthing gems in faraway leagues, but always remember the Brendan Rodgers Fan Club telling us all last summer that Bertrand, Soumare and Patson Daka were the next level and clearly showed that Arsenal had fallen off.
Eddie scored the same number of PL goals as Patson. Where are those Brenda fans today?
Tying Eddie down gives us another Hale-Ender in the squad and it keeps £25m safe. If I were Eddie’s agent, I’d tell Arsenal that I want an exit clause in my deal that says I can go for £10m next summer if I don’t get 20 starts next season. It’s win-win that way.
Our focus needs to be on adding first-team quality to the midfield so we can deal with Thomas Partey injury issues and it needs to deliver us some goals to the forward line in the shape of a near world-class forward and possibly a winger that can replace the sure-to-be-exited Nico Pepe this summer.
Everything else from there looks like bonus signings.
Competition for Gabriel feels like it’s going to depend on moving someone out, but it’d be great if we could land a Tomiyasu like talent there, or even a loan for a season for a seasoned vet like Umtiti.
Our left side needs something to happen to it quite urgently. We don’t have a reliable 50-game-a-season player there and we don’t have an experienced enough deputy. You’d imagine there’s a chance we totally rebuild the left side of our defence because Tierney exiting the first team correlates very nicely with our demise as a team.
Right, short post today because that is every piece of content I have.
Bisouma in advanced talks with villa
Let’s get them back for the buendia chat although I am delighted we missed out on him
Spot on dissenter … we will still buy another striker but as another poster said if Eddie did play the majority of games next season he would score 20+ and he’s nowhere near his peak
Glad with Eleney.. main thing I’ve noticed with him is how much more he plays that forward pass more.. one against westham where he put Eddie thru was a great pass..
lastly can’t remember what poster said Ode just passes it sideways,, whoever believes that, you need to watch his game more
How many clubs would spend £70m on a player but then basically freeze him out. Arteta’s tough ( dysfunctional)style of management alienates players. Pepe was ridiculed by Arteta after being sent off at Leeds the season before last and yet Xhaka can’t do a thing wrong. Pepe could have been utilised far more often. You can see he struggles but Arteta just continues with his mismanagement of the guy. It is actually quite shocking to witness. Yes Pepe is fragile and makes silly mistakes but he has also done some wonderful things these past few seasons. By treating him the… Read more »
”People saying 100k is too much for Eddie, like it’s a coming out of your pocket.
Eddie’s signing was effectively, a free transfer operation due to previous mismanagement.”
Dissenter not seeing the bigger picture here.
If you are paying your back-up ST £100k a week you are setting a very dangerous precedent.
We should be going for Watkins.
No not Watkins he missed so many chances.
Misses*
Very happy with the Eddie signing.. one who I believe has shown he can truly bang IF given chances and coaching. Likely the price means Arteta will use him even it down to pressure from the board. But seems Arteta has seen the light with him
If Eddie get 100k surely Saka is worth that and more?
”Arteta values goalscorers. ”
Love you Habesha but is this a joke?
Arteta values goalscorers? Is that based on his love and trust of 4 goals in 30 PL apps Lacazette leading the line all season?
And failing to bring in a single goalscorer in his dozen plus signings so far exceeding £200m.
Samesong
Saka has every right to ask for £200k a week minimum given the Eddie deal.
We should have sold Eddie when we had the chance like Willock. Good player but not good enough for where we aspire to be in the coming seasons (well, allegedly…).
LoveSausage, Great comment. If the Eddie deal is truly done, the question for me is: do we splash out for 2 more forwards or just 1? Pepe needs to go somehow, no matter how big the loss we take, because he just doesn’t have the faith of the manager to start games. He does seem to ruin our quick passing rhythm because he is a soloist. This means we have depth problems on the wings, unless we want to take a big gamble on Reiss Nelson, and go through exactly the same experience we had with Nketiah contract and playing… Read more »
Yeah, Saka should demand to get paid in the area of £170-200k pw. Anything below that figure, given what Eddie makes, would be a joke.
‘If the Eddie deal is truly done, the question for me is: do we splash out for 2 more forwards or just 1?”
Imo we need x2 minimum. One ST and one LF. Ideally 3 to give Saka and the new LF some depth. Forget Pool/City, take a look at Chelsea and Spurs’ depth for the forward positions even.
Pepe is a goner so he’ll too need a replacement.
Need to probably get away with x2 given no CL funds tho.
WE,
AMN could have brought 20 mils after the FAC games he played couple of years ago. Arteta refused to sell him then benched him, then loaned him. His contract expires next year, looks like yet again we’re pissing money up the wall.
We’ll need one more ST and one more wide forward to replace Pepe. Gnabry will be a Bosman case next summer. We should put in a cheeky bid this summer to see if Bayern are willing to play ball. We have a relationship with the player and he can play as a wide forward on both sides.
Serge Gnabry should be our no 1 target if he is available.
TR7,
He had 1 year left and he’s rejected BM’s proposal for a new contract so he’s 100% available. Obviously, a player of that quality will want to play in the CL. But at the same time, he’s only said good things about Arsenal since he left. So we’d be stupid if we didn’t at least give him a call and test the waters.
Jesus is good but he relies on good supply and doesn’t create much on his own. Besides he isn’t tall.
As far as im aware Arteta didnt buy Pepe, so he come in and doesnt rate him and freezes him out…can’t see the problem
Gnabry is 27 in the summer, coming into peak years. No chance he joins us outside of the CL, little chance even if we were in it.
We should be casting our attention to alternatives. Have heard names like Moussa Diaby, Gakpo, Antony, Raphina. All good options but my preference would be a right footed player that plays on the left as Saka is much better at RW than LW.
I really like the look of that Sinisterra fella for Feyenoord. Only 22 and very good numbers across the board, who knows could be our Luis Diaz type.
He outscored calvert lewin, Patson Daka and Kelechi Iheanacho
Not Patson Daka no.
And as for the nonsense that he’s now worth 100k a week you simply have to break down his 10 goals this season and 7 of them were 3 against Sunderland in the mickey mouse cup and 2 against Chelsea and Leeds and that’s it. He was next to useless in the previous months and if a few goals at the tail end of another poor season is enough for 100k a week then I dunno I feel like arsenal fans deserve what they get
WE love Moussa Diaby. He’s a great little player
Aye Marko, lad looks very good. Leverkusen have CL football mind.
That chart shows just how nonsensical cherry-picked stats can be re Eddie too that Pedro put it. On the comparison list Morata, Gameiro and Arnautovic are there. 3 Absolutely below average strikers.
Wenger eagle
Edie is not a back-up striker, not after all he’s been through
He’s a second/rotational striker, much like Liverpool treats Jota and Diaz
If you believe Liverpool and Chelsea wer ein the running to sign him, [which is plausible] then he’s not overpaid, considering his contract had run out.
If you really believe that Liverpool and Chelsea were in for him Dissenter I have magic beans to sell you.
Jota is a starter for Liverpool. Diaz has just arrived and will replace Mane who is 30 within the next couple of years. Also Pool actually compete on all fronts unlike ourselves and need a massive squad.
G,
Emery didn’t even want him. I still don’t know how the owners were tricked into that deal.
Also Diaz is on £56k a week at Liverpool and he is 25. Bargain contract.
22 year old Eddie who has proven next to nothing unlike Diaz is on £100k a week.
Nigel “Saka just made a step up, Smith Rowe with goals, Martinelli starting, and almost all the old deadwood gone. White, Ramsdale, and Tomiyasu from the previous summer have worked in successfully” now there’s a rather rose-coloured take…Saka has hit a wall with the tactics on offer, albeit with some tactical tweaking and the requisite protection he’s obviously a high-ceiling wide side player, ESR is functionally a managerial afterthought, who’s being shoehorned out wide and primarily used when there’s been injuries or as a late-game sub, Marts has suffered as a result of our tactics and, like ESR, needs some… Read more »
A lot of teams could have picked up Mane and Jota. Liverpool identified them as perfect premier league players to fit into Klopps system, and he made them even better.
That’s why they’re dominating.
WE, I’d go for Gnabry precisely because he’s entering peak age. We have plenty of young players with high potential. And I’d rather not have to rely on Martinelli for CL qualification next season. With Gnabry, you could play him as the starting left-sided wide forward so you’d have a right-footer there. And he’s not just CL quality – he’s CL winner quality. When Saka needs a rest, Gnabry can play on the right, which is what he does at BM. And we could give him the same salary we’re paying Pepe, which would be a 50k/week raise from his… Read more »
Edie is not a back-up striker, not after all he’s been through
He’s a second/rotational striker, much like Liverpool treats Jota and Diaz
Absolutely hilarious. Keep it up dissenter
WE
spot on, I spent countless hours trying to bring attention to Diaz, who I felt was the best player at the last year’s Copa…what a potential steal…those are the kind of players who an organization like Arsenal can’t afford to miss out on, especially considering his skillset, reasonable transfer fee and wage package; not to mention, his seemingly endless motor and present age
Quick question , if you had to choose between only Jesus and Gnabry who would you pick ?
Gnabry, not even a debate to be had.
TRVL,
Comparing Eddie to Diaz is apples to oranges. Diaz has a lower salary because Liverpool had to pay €60M transfer fee. Eddie managed to run down his contract and those players always land salaries that are above market rate. Clubs look at the total cost.
G I know that Pepe wasn’t Arteta’s purchase, that’s not my point. At no stage during the past two and a half years has Arteta shown that he values Pepe. In fact, imo, for the most part, he has treated him appallingly. To a lesser degree he does this to other players Pepe is an incredibly frustrating player, we all know that but is capable of bouts of brilliance. Because of Arteta’s unique man management skills, it has made integrating him into the team an almost impossible task. My opinions mean nothing in the greater scheme of things but one… Read more »
LoveSausage
Don’t doubt that we could afford him but would he want to come back here? I don’t think so, he is prime age and how are you going to convince him to spend those years outside of the CL? I wouldn’t have us remotely as favourites to finish 4th next season either.
Unless you believe Ten Hag will be a disaster at Utd and Conte will regress Spurs.
Divine,
IMO, Gnabry is a class above Jesus. They play different positions though so not sure the comparison makes sense. Gnabry is primarily a wide forward. He does occasionally play ST but I wouldn’t sign him with that in mind.
Vieira Lynn,
Every word you type here just keeps proving my description of you. Every point you made was the most bleak take on Arsenal possible. If you had a blog, you would have zero readers with that personality.
Why is it rose coloured glasses to point out some strengths of the young squad?
You think that you’re coming off as intelligently critical and pragmatic, but really you’re just a downer in regards to the team.
Continue living like that if you want. I choose to enjoy Arsenal and find a bit of hope in life.
LS
Diaz transfer fee was 37.5M and I wasn’t directly comparing those two particular players, I was simply talking about how a real team with their shit together conducts business, even in a January window
WE,
That is, of course, the big question. He’ll have options. But he also seems to have genuinely warm feelings for Arsenal. No idea what that’s worth tbh. But my point is that we should ask him. We did spend months going after Vlahovic even though he didn’t even want to talk to us. Serge will at least pick up the phone.
LoveSausage
Pool’s wage structure if far smarter than ours when you have the likes of Mane on £100k a week and Diaz on £56k a week.
Let’s not pretend that we haven’t also spent exorbitant amounts of money in recent years. Having a back-up ST on £100k is not smart no matter how you look at it.
I actually fear that Eddie is being groomed to lead the line and start next season. If that is the case, kiss goodbye to 4th again.
TRVL
Yeah was obvious to anyone that watched last year’s Copa America or caught any of Porto this season that Diaz was an exploding talent. He’s probably been the best signing this season and has only played from January, him or Kulusevski imo.
TRLV, The reported fee was €45M + €15M in add-ons. Considering how well he’s done, it’s safe to assume that Liverpool are on the hook for the full amount. I’m not arguing with you about how good Liverpool are at what they do. They’re more competent than us in every respect. There’s a reason why they’re in the CL final and we’re arguing amongst ourselves whether a 5th place finish is good enough. My point is just that you can’t compare a Bosman salary with a normal transfer scenario. There’s reason so many players try to run down their contracts… Read more »
Nigel what I said wasn’t an attempt to be overtly negative, but to be totally realistic, which is something that you clearly don’t prescribe to…I see that you glossed over the positive elements of my evaluation, as they didn’t fit your particular narrative…the last time this club had a largely complicit fanbase this organization took full advantage of our abject naivety when it came to all footballing matters…at least then we had the former professor in charge, so it wasn’t so unusual that some would give them considerable leeway, whereas now we’re functionally being run by a substitute teacher, who… Read more »
WE,
If it’s true that Mane is on 100k/week then he should fire his agent. That’s an exceptionally shitty salary for a player of his quality.
I don’t think he’s being groomed for a starting position. He’ll be rotated in but surely not a starter. Arteta has made more than his fair share of brain dead player decisions but that would be gambling his job. He’s smart enough to not do that.
The Real Vieira Lynn
I’d read your blog.👍
Pepe had a decent cameo last game. I like what he adds variety and personality in our attack when he plays well. Our attack can sometimes be too predictable and choreographed. This moments is when I like seeing Pepe.
Wenger eagle
Liverpool could have been in for Eddie just for the profitability alone
They could have gotten him on a free transfer, played him in peripheral games and sold him for 25-30 million next season.
You are forgetting the business aspect of it.
Same reason you’re ignoring the fact that Liverpool paid 37 million [can raise to 45 million] for Diaz so just stating his wages is half-truth.
Wenger eagle
“Pool’s wage structure if far smarter than ours when you have the likes of Mane on £100k a week and Diaz on £56k a week.”
Mane is an about 200k weekly…for the past 2-3 seasons
LS
there seems to be some discrepancies when it comes to his exact transfer fee, regardless of that fact, you seem to be suggesting that it was a foregone conclusion that Eddie was destined to get a similar wage and term package from another club and I would strongly suggest that this would likely not have occurred…at the very least we should have let him dip his toes, then went back to him, once his market value had been properly established
Cheers G62…and I yours
honestly if Eddie had played place of Laca this season, there’s no way he wouldn’t have finished on double figures.
His agent pushed his contract to the line and it paid off. Arsenal can’t afford top let him walk away for free
The people at Arsenal are just running the simple arithmetic- they will save more keeping Eddie, even on that inflated wage, than let him walk for free.
”Mane is an about 200k weekly…for the past 2-3 seasons”
What’s your source on that Diss? Every one I can find has him on £100k. And you seem to rate Eddie much higher than me if you believe he would fetch £30m.
Diaz is a far better player than Eddie. not even remotely comparable.
TRVL,
We’ll never know. My hunch is that he could have got 75k from another club fairly easily. That extra 25k is probably a premium for having been treated like shit by the generational one for the past 2.5 years. For what it’s worth, Eddie doesn’t strike me as someone who would just milk a contract. If he’s not getting minutes next season, he’ll probably take a transfer away next summer.
”For what it’s worth, Eddie doesn’t strike me as someone who would just milk a contract. ”
You have to ask yourself though, would anybody else pay him £100k a week? If the answer is no then of course he could go the way of milking the contract. Let’s hope not but it wasn’t s smart move imo handing it out to him.
Lovesausage
If Mane is on 100k, the blame is on him not his agent. Lol
Are we comparing players now.
Diaz and Eddie are totally different.
I love watching Diaz. Liverpool have a real gem there.
Eddie can be a major star for us, as long as Arteta shows he trusts in him.
I think Eddie Nketiah is about to bang. Get that extrs striker and let’s go
WengerEagle
The reason I asked is I wanted to see who you guys rate as a forward more and I think what Arteta is trying to do here is trying to create a front 3 like City/Liverpool . So hypothetically , Eddie and one other ST / Firmino , Saka/Salah and Gnabry or Jesus be Mane . With Martinelli and ESR being the Jota and Diaz
Wenger eagle
Where did you get that 100k weekly figure from mate?
Liverpool signed him on a 100k weekly contract from southampton and extended it twice on new terms
https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/9971645/liverpool-sadio-mane-talks-contract-real-madrid/
WengER EAGLE
Diaz is better than EAddie
…and cost more money too, to boot
Eddie cost us next to zero
Diaz cost Liverpool 35 million, .. to rise to 45 million
Factor that into your arithmetic about cost outlay
“A lot of teams could have picked up Mane and Jota. Liverpool identified them as perfect premier league players to fit into Klopps system, and he made them even better”
Banged the drum of Mane and Jota before Liverpool signed them. Weagle was a huge fan of Firmino who also has done very well. Arsenal rarely make moves for obvious signings. Bruno G the latest in a plethora of obvious signings we should have made. Poor recruitment the single biggest ailment at Arsenal.
Dissenter in full troll mode today? Lmao.
So your only source for a Liverpool contract is THE SUN, that is beyond hilarious. And it is a rumour at that, the previous contact was £150k which was also a rumour by that rag of a paper.
https://www.spotrac.com/epl/liverpool-fc/payroll/?ref=trending-pages
WengerEagle
But there is no way Mane is on 100k a week.
Eddie’s renewal from a numbers perspective it makes sense, for EL in the early stages, yes but for the EPL to challenge top 4 not really. Looks like they based a renewal solely on 8 games, because he lacked precision in front of goal and does not have the physically for hold up play. No other club would spend 100k on Eddie. With decisions like this I will not be surprised if in the upcoming season there again will be no St. Totteringham’s day. Here are facts to ponder over regarding players who are in the main headlines of the… Read more »
The Sun newspaper is not even worthy of caressing the Hemorrhoids on your arse Dissenter.
If you mentioned that to a Scouser you’d get the Carra water-fountain treatment.
Using The Sun to back up your view undermines the whole thing lol.
I don’t doubt Mane is on more than 100k a week, but quoting The Sun? Have some self respect!
New post bitches
Wenger eagle
Where did you get the 100k weekly for Mane?
You haven’t answered that yet
New post ages ago
I’ve succumbed to the negativity police.
After careful introspection; and considering the amateur hour in all roles in management at the club; and the obvious flaws of our head coach/manager, we have definitely over achieved.
Fighting for 4th is Artetas max level. He absolutely slipped up, but thank goodness that he only needed 5th to achieve our goals.
Arteta has finally moved his own needle, and went from under achieving horribly to over achieving, with the youngest team in the world, in the space of one season.
Give me some year 2 action already