Arsenal get back to business this week.
We have one more game left of preseason.
12 more days until the start of the season.
2 more players to buy.
About 7 that need shifting on.
Edu has a wide-ranging interview in The Athletic authored by James. There’s some nice bits in there, it feels like Arsenal are trying to get ahead of the PR this season, versus waiting like they did last year.
Some points that I thought were interesting:
He confirmed what I told you last season, Champions League was a stretch goal, making it back to Europe was the objective. It was totally fine to feel pain because we blew top 4 from a good position, but the whole purpose of goals and objectives is that you don’t change them. If the club thought Europe was a good enough target for the youngest squad in the league in their first season, then pivoting to top 4 when it’s doing well would be unfair. The corporate equivalent would be reducing a salesman’s commission when they sell too much. You don’t punish overperformance, you applaud it.
This season though, Edu has made it clear, he expects the club to move to the next level because all the pieces are in place.
There was also a bit of a dig at Unai Emery, Edu basically said it’s really hard to recruit for a manager that doesn’t have a clear plan. Don Unai was indecisive on the pitch, he was indecisive with player management, so there’s no reason to think he wasn’t indecisive with the players he wanted to sign.
There was a story a few years ago that Unai Emery brought a magical presentation to his interview, that might have been the case, but it was Arteta the struck first with a detailed analysis of exactly what he wanted to do.
At the second attempt, Arsenal hired Arteta. I think Don Raul stepped away from that decision and put it on Arteta. He needed a fall and likely realised putting more of his stooges at the club might not be good for career longevity.
Mikel is ruthless about how he expects Arsenal to built to a title challenge, he knows how he’s going to play, the types of players he needs to make it work, and Edu is happy bringing that to life.
It’s clear that when he arrived, the club was a bag of shit… just look at where the line-up was.
Edu is quite specific about the problem he inherited. A group of older players on massive salaries that didn’t give a shit about greatness. It’s hard to sell players that don’t have value. Schalke took on Mustafi and Kola and they joined a coup within a month. That’s what you’re dealing with. Europe knows the eggs we’re trying to sell have mostly been bad. That’s why we can’t get cash for them.
Edu has shifted 16 first-teamers since the Bournemouth game. He hasn’t gotten a lot of money. But he basically said terminating deals for shitty players is better than letting them stink out the dressing room. Remember when the players tried to down Arteta? Bad eggs are toxic, they bring everyone down, when you kill them, their absence oxygenates an environment and allows new leaders to emerge. I think the biggest issue for Arteta was some of the biggest names were the most problematic. If you have massive talent, you’ll always carry an outsized weight in a dressing room, that’s just how sport tends to work… so when your World Cup winners have downed one manager, why not the next?
That’s part of the reasons Arsenal didn’t sack Arteta during that shocking run. If they had, you create a club culture where the players know the downing of tools will get them another roll of the dice with a potentially more favorable manager. Football is a game of emotions, managing them when pressure is coming from all angles is difficult, but when you have a plan and an agreed vision… you can shut the noise out.
Edu and club leadership needs to be commended for working through the kinks. The whole point of signing Arteta was that 1) he was already one of the best young coaches in the world 2) if he could hone his management skills under us, we’d be getting a next-generation manager at the start of their career 3) if we could rough out the learning process, we could have ourselves a gem before bigger clubs find out.
This is the season when we find out if that theory will hold.
What we know already is this:
- The coaching is really paying dividends. If you can get a team of 23 yr olds to 69 points without a striker, something is happening that is working.
- The reputation of what is going on is traveling around the Premier League. Gabriel and Zinchenko don’t give their best years to a project that isn’t going anywhere. They are here to win, they are a level of signing that is a hard indicator that the footballing world gets that the Arsenal approach is a good one
- Our best young players are signing new deals. We’ll likely finish the summer with Saka, Martinelli, and Saliba committing to the long term. That is huge for a club that had been on a very poor run with contracts.
My favourite part of the piece was when Edu was talking about Gabi J. He said he wanted him to join, but not the player of last season, he wanted the Gabriel that shines.
I love that. No blowing smoke, just pure honesty, because last season Gabi J was trailing Lacazette for goals up until March with roughly the same minutes.
It would seem that so far, we have an invigorated player, and we might just see a side of him this season no one has witnessed before.
The business we have to do is clear over the next two weeks.
We need to sign an experienced #8 that looks like Tielemans.
We need to sign a Nico Pepe replacement if we can shift the Ivorian. I’m a little worried the player has ‘I’m committed to Arsenal’ posts rolling up, obviously the realisation no one will pay him what he seeks, but I’m sure we’ll come to a deal and shift him on loan somewhere. He’s just not suited to what we’re doing and he needs to play at some point.
Pablo Mari has a lot of interest, Lucas Torreira might end up at Valencia, Arsenal are moving out Bernd Leno to Fulham… Ains, Reiss, and Runarsson will all find homes.
Then we’re cracking.
This season is going to be immense. Spurs, hate them or hate them, have signed decent players. Chelsea will add more names but might be weakening. United have a fancy hip coach. City and Liverpool added top tier talent. We are in for a helluva ride, but I feel ready, and the hope IS real this time.
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No. Not what Edu and Pedro are saying.
Arteta will not be sacked for finishing just out of top four nor will he be sacked if it is thought that a better brand of football has been on offer even if that doesn’t materialise in top four either.
You yourself have said that Arteta and Edu are giving out slightly different signals here regarding top four.
That should tell you in itself.
“Feel good factor is well and truly back, unless you’re Tom”
Un, I never said I wasn’t optimistic about this season.
I like our transfers of Jesus, Zinchenko, and Vieira, and I’m willing to stick my neck out enough to say Jesus might be the most significant transfer of this window in the entire PL.
You yourself have said that Arteta and Edu are giving out slightly different signals here regarding top four.
Yeah but one has a say in whether or not a manager is working out and the other doesn’t
There is certainly a feel good factor about the club atm.
No-one can deny that.
It’s just that some may be getting just a little ahead of themselves.
If expectations are met this season then you feel it could at the expense of Chelsea who drop out of the top four.
But there can be other scenarios like Man United improving and a springer coming out of the top eight a team that exceeds al expectations.
Marko
“Yeah but one has a say in whether or not a manager is working out and the other doesn’t”
There will not be the overall will to sack Arteta if he fails to get top four and doesn’t obviously shit himself while not getting in the top four places.
I can safely say that.
The fans will not completely turn on him and this in turn means Kroenke would continue with him.
There will not be the overall will to sack Arteta if he fails to get top four and doesn’t obviously shit himself while not getting in the top four places.
What an easy job the arsenal job is. Hundreds of millions spent but as long as you don’t shit the bed on the way to a top 6/8 finish you’ll be fine and dandy for this fanbase. Laughable really
Ish Expecting Arsenal to be in a battle between 3rd – 6th, and being in with a decent chance of edging into 3rd or 4th, seems like a reasonable demand/expectation to me. I’d be really disappointed if we weren’t in the mix for top 4 + Europa League as our squad stands, and if we didn’t see a better style of football. If we can clear the deck, and improve the quality of our squad further in 2-3 positions before Sept 1st? Then surely we’d be expected to be more competitive, more consistent, get closer to the top 2 clubs,… Read more »
Tom
Good for you mate
That’s the spirit!!
Third place is on Rich if all goes to plan and these high expectations are met.
Spurs look pretty healthy atm but as we know can shoot themselves in the foot at anytime. They would fancy finishing above us again this coming season tbh
Chelsea look a bit vulnerable but we will have to see how that plays out as the season gets going with them.
Rich Yeah I don’t really disagree with any of that. There will of course be blips and games in which we chuck points we should have in the bag but I think we will give second a good run this season. 3 huge played have joined the first team in Saliba, Zinchenko and Jesus which is already adding layers beyond layers to the team in terms of mentality, technical quality and energy. Odegaard white and Ramsdale could or should show better form in their 2nd full season and Arteta will have so much variety to galaxy brain with for the… Read more »
Yep agree. Much better squad dept but more importantly we have a better balance. We know the team will be well coached and a lot more fluid because we have more technical players on the pitch. Arteta and Edu deserve a lot of credit, along with the owners for sticking to their plan. Those of us who have run business know how important it is to stick to a plan and make tough decisions. last season we missed fourth because of the injuries we had that unbalanced the team and meant we couldn’t play our best team in over a… Read more »
*squad depth
Gabriel Jesus: “When we started to talk about the transfer, it was with Edu. I knew already Mikel wanted me to come. They showed me the project. They showed me some stuff about my statistics & I was so surprised. They want me to come, to help, to improve, that’s why I’m here.” When I read the full interview with Edu, I started to feel fortunate that we have him and Arteta very much on the same page, with a long term plan, and most importantly having convinced the owners to get behind it. Also love how they are recruiting… Read more »
Tom,
“I never said I wasn’t optimistic about this season.
I like our transfers of Jesus, Zinchenko, and Vieira, and I’m willing to stick my neck out enough to say Jesus might be the most significant transfer of this window in the entire PL.”
Good stuff Tom.
As others have mentioned, Jesus giving off slight Alexis vibes… but there’s even more to it, because he’ll be a less selfish player and is likely to really raise the games of Saka, Øde and Martinelli especially.
Rich and if we dont sign another 3 top players and sell the dross???? A lot of what ifs in that comment
Nigel
Edu started working Jesus family before he approached the player. He assured the family, then approached the player who he was already familiar with.
Then he approached the player with data with a subtle criticism that you don ‘t look as happy as you looked in yesteryears. He wasn’t begging- he was challenging Jesus that we can make you better.
We have the advantage of having a director of football who understands the culture.
Edu is morphing into a top DoF before our very eyes.
Gabriel Jesus on his celebration: ‘When we were kids, my Mom would be calling me all the time to find out where I was. If I didn’t pick up, she’d start calling all my friends. So when I score a goal now, even when she’s not in the stadium, I “pick up the phone” and talk to her’.
As a mommas boy, I love this. He’s already an easy guy to cheer for.
The Bard
You are such a moaner. Spending time with you would be energy sapping.
If our summer spending stops right now, this summer transfer window and pre-season will still be a resounding success.
If push comes to shove, Reiss Nelson can deputize for Martinelli and the drop off won’t be super big.
Pepe can come in [god forbid] to give Saka resting space.
Partey’s position is the one that’s not properly backed up but who knows if Lokonga is going to to that step-up this season.
Lots of reports saying Melo to Arsenal loan deal with option to buy
Dissenter
I didn’t know that level of detail about Edu and Jesus. As a club, we might have found something special in an ex-player. Of course there will be mistakes from anyone in his position, but overall seems like a serious guy, who also likes grilling.
Don’t see the point of Melo. Very average.
https://fbref.com/en/players/48b3dd60/Arthur-Melo
I think the transfer team has looked at Arthur Melo for too long to know there’s something there to help the team.
There has to be something special about a player who has been signed by Barca and Juve.
He’s 25 years old and will be desperate to do well in his last chance salon.
This will be a conviction based signing in the mould of Ramsdale.
If it’s Melo we sign, lets refrain from slamming him until we see what they want to do with him.
I learned my lesson from Ramsdale.
Let’s make sure we all understand what Edu said. There have been a few misunderstandings: Dissenter made a few good points earlier. Even a broken clocks right twice a day (only kidding mate…!!) On paying players to leave: “If a guy is performing and has a big salary, that’s not a problem. When the player is 26-plus, big salary and he’s not performing, he’s killing you. You don’t have a valuation to sell the player, the player is comfortable – Arsenal, London, beautiful, everything is fantastic – and a good salary… how many players with that kind of characteristics did… Read more »
Also, all the talk about Edu being somewhat powerless isn’t true. From that interview, it’s obvious that he’s making big calls all the time. He’s not some errand boy to execute a plan designed by someone else. They just work well together and he would have earned Arteta’s trust by backing him to the hilt during the crises of the autumn of 2020. I think Edu has all the powers of any Director of football and Arteta has all the powers of a well supported manager. They don’t have to show off to each other so we will never know… Read more »
The Bard If we stay as we are, I’d expect us to be in a big fight between 3rd + 6th, and to just edge over the line into 3rd or 4th. I’d also expect us to be one of the favourites for the Europa League. Maybe I’m greedy, but I want more, i haven’t felt we were in with a chance of the title since 2015/16, and even then we always looked 2-3 players away That Welbeck header did have me dreaming for a few days though. Since then we’ve been miles away, looking at our squad now, we’re… Read more »
I think the transfer team has looked at Arthur Melo for too long to know there’s something there to help the team.
I’m not sure I’d ever give arsenal the benefit of the doubt regarding transfers.
The Melo rumours I believe on one hand…
China and Dissenter I think both explained yesterday very well what Edu and Arteta might be thinking on him….
On the other hand, from a numbers perspective, I really would be surprised if we are really in for Tielemans as it seems because getting both might be overkill.
Seeing how well Xhaka is playing and talking, I no longer see him as a possible outgoing transfer. I know people will hate to hear that lol.
Dissenter,
if Edu and Arteta put that same level of care into recruiting Tielemans, it just might explain why he would be content to sit and wait for us to come in a little late after clearing a few players.
I think it would be completely about that sales pitch and vision more than about being a boyhood gooner.
Valencia strongly linked with Melo however I will be happy if we sign him on a loan deal. I like the way he plays although he is not in prime form.
Sorry people but we are probably still a top 7 side. Without that 25/30 goal forward, we will always struggle to make that difference a player of that type…does.
City, Liverpool, Spurs, Man U and Chelsea have that player. We don’t.
Marko “I’m not sure I’d ever give arsenal the benefit of the doubt regarding transfers.” Maybe in 2020, when we were awarding lengthy contracts for Soares and Willian .. I too would have said that But if you look at the transfer value of the squad we now in 2022, compared to what we had back then in 2020. It was about $400 million because we had lots of old unsellable players, not we have players with about $800 million, on transfermarkt.com. They are executing a plan that is patently obvious. They’ve earned some capital. It doesn’t mean they haven’t… Read more »
Tiellesman has been there, waiting and available
Why haven’t United or Arsenal made the obvious move
Are Leicester deludedly asking for too much?
I read somewhere that they demanded as much as 45-50 million because they have to pay Monaco part of the fee.
They’ve earned some capital. It doesn’t mean they haven’t made mistakes along the way.
They are currently trying to get rid of Tavares after a single season…they haven’t earned the right to not still be scrutinized in the transfer market. They’ve done well this summer but that’s it. Still haven’t addressed the midfield still having issues at fullback and goalkeeper. Jury still out as they say
I think once Torrera is sold Arsenal will go for Tielemans.
The obvious reason for Arsenal not signing another midfielder yet, has to be that we need to create space in the squad first: Partey, Elneny, Torreira Xhaka, Sambi, Niles Odegaard, Vieira We’ve also got Smith Rowe who should get plenty of games centrally, even if he primarily plays from the left. Numerically it doesn’t seem viable yet, when Edu was asked about Paqueta, he said he liked the player, but we’ve already got too many players in that position. If we sell Niles + Torreira, I think we’ll sign a No8. If we sell Pepe + Nelson, we’ll sign a… Read more »
Hackney,
Deep, thoughtful analysis of the team right there. Good job.
Maybe you should’ve become a football executive with such detailed study of squad building.
Tomiyasu and Tierney both back in training. They will make for some nice depth in the squad.
Arsenal now have plenty of goals spread around In all comps I’d expect: Saka 20-25 Pepe 10 Martinelli 15 Smith Rowe 10-15 Jesus 15-20 Eddie 15-20 Odegaard 10-15 Some stat padding in the Europa, but we’ve got 7 attacking players all capable of double figures, and that doesn’t include Vieira who posted good numbers in Portugal last season, who should chip in with a few. If we were to get Tielemans or similar, that could be another 4-8 goals. We’re already in a much better place than we were a couple of seasons ago in terms of goal threat, there’s… Read more »
Saka 20-25? Good luck with that
Saka aged 17-18, 2019/20
4 goals
Saka 2020/21
7 goals
Saka 2021/22
12 goals
Ronaldo aged 18, 2003/04
6 goals
2004/05
9 goals
2005/06
11 goals
2006/07
23 goals
2007/08
42 goals
What Saka has been doing for his age, and in generally a poor/inexperienced team, has been exceptional, he’s an elite talent, and I’m in little doubt he’ll become a 20-30 goal forward.
He’ll kick on again this season with better players, and a maturing team around him.
Diss.Yep that’s Leicester situation.On top of that due to FFP they have to sell before they can buy which leaves them in a bad place when it comes to trying to max the fee in a player down to his final year who only wants to play for one club.Us.
So I’m guessing it’s a game of chicken being played at the moment.Leicester hoping to get a bidding war which is non existent at present & Arsenal making them sweat until they hear what’s the damage.That’s imo.Frustrating,but could go to the wire.
Saka would do amazing to get 20-25, I’d have him down realistically to get between 12-18 in all comps perhaps.
I will be more comfy with another midfield addition but we can live without another winger unless Pepe and Nelson won’t be here next season.
Let’s not forget that our opening fixtures are quite kind. Yes Palace away first game will be a hot house and tough to navigate given out redoes there, but after that: Leicester H B’Mouth A Fulham H Villa H Man Utd A Everton H Brentford A Before an Int break. So this season is unusual in where we have a longer run of uninterrupted games, and looking at those fixtures I get 13/14 vibes where, apart from the opening games, we shot out of the blocks and established ourselves right near the top of the table. Such a run again… Read more »
Guns,
Who’s the 25/30 goal forward @Chelsea?
Rich,
I love Saka but there is no way he is scoring 20-25 goals.
I see Jesus doing that but not Saka.
Smith Rowe maybe if he stays healthy and gets PT
I am reading some saying we should be challenging between 3rd and 6th. This is almost unbelievable to read. I remember Pep saying if he was in a top club and didn’t win a trophy he will not be surprised if he was sacked; this was after his first season in Mancity. He has dominated since then. How can anyone be setting an objective below 4th for Arteta for next season. Mourinho was wrong to call Wenger a specialist in failure, he should have added some of our fans to that description. Crazy that Arteta getting below 4th doesn’t qualify… Read more »
Rich
Your comparison with Ronaldo for Saka is not the right one. They are very different players. Ronaldo could score from distance, with his head and was simply a better finisher. We all love Saka but if anything, he’ll see a bump in assists rather than goals now that he has Jesus and an improving Nketiah to work with.
benkind 5th and a Europa League win-Arteta stays A close 5th and F.A Cup is right on the borderline but I think he still stays. There’s a couple of x-factors in there too. Will we have Partey fit and available for the whole season? Will Saka and Saliba both extend? Will Saliba become generational or will he struggle to adapt to the weekly intensity of the Premier League? Also, and it sounds absurdly simple, but it wouldn’t hurt of we conceded less and scored more this season! At least that’s a metric that Arteta fans can point to if he… Read more »
“Crazy that Arteta getting below 4th doesn’t qualify as a guaranteed sack.” Not really. Many thought Wenger still had another title run in him when he was let go. Many didn’t think Emery deserved the chop even when it became clear he had lost the players. And many thought Arsenal squad post Emery was a complete disaster requiring a four or five year rebuild, and according to them we’re in the year two of said rebuild. All this to say Arsenal fans are easily the most laid back, forgiving bunch out of top five of City, United, Chelsea and Pool,… Read more »
The thing that is a bit confusing about Edus comments on problem players and Artetas clear vision and paying players to leave is Auba and his sickeningly large wages.
Why didn’t they cut their losses when it would have cost us nothing rather than caving to a players ludicrous demands? A player that was clearly only signing for money?
Tom
Wenger definitely did not have another title run in him.
Bacary We have a much better defense now with the additions of Saliba and Zinchenko so we better be letting in fewer goals. Way less reliant on the 2 injury prone fullbacks this season and much better quality depth in CB. We also have a young hungry striker instead of a Lacazette on his last legs so there really is no excuses to not scoring more as well. On top of that we should expect our young players in, Saka, Martinelli, Ode, ESR, Eddie to step it up another level. Still too heavily reliant on Partey staying fit, that’s the… Read more »
Graham, no he didn’t.
And Emery probably should’ve been fired right after Baku.
Anyone remember Adam Johnson? March 2nd, 2015: Suspended by Sunderland for two matches after arrest on suspicion of sexual activity with a 15-year old girl March 18th, 2015: New manager Dick Advocaat reinstates him to the team. Sunderland continue to select him despite being officiallly charged with 3 offences to which he pleads not guilty to. Feb 6th, 2016: Johnson plays his last match for Sunderland Feb 11th, 2016. Sunderland terminates his contract after Johnson pleads guilty to sexual activity with an underage child and grooming. The reason why it’s important to remember the Adam Johnson case is because if… Read more »
Pedro
“It’s clear that when he(arteta) arrived, the club was a bag of shit… just look at where the line-up was”.
That bag of shit were the only unbeaten team domestically in Europe in 2020 when the league was suspended in march .
That bag of shit also won the FA cup when they returned, beating city and chelsea in the semi and final.
I will say they did turn into a bag of shit the following season when they were flirting with relegation under the leadership of Arteta.
last thing i’ll say about emery. i find it a bit strange to say the club failed to support him when at the beginning of his 2nd season the club spent almost 200m during the summer, granted one player was saliba
You Arteta Out wankers don’t ever give it a rest. You represent 0.0001% of fans. It’s a very weird way to behave.
There is something psychologically wrong to be this obsessive. Not normal behaviour.
pierre- again other notable winners of the FA cup
leicester
wigan under roberto martinez
portsmouth
luton town
“last thing i’ll say about emery. i find it a bit strange to say the club failed to support him when at the beginning of his 2nd season the club spent almost 200m during the summer, granted one player was saliba” Strange because just yesterday you were saying the Kroenke’s didn’t just want to spend money under him because they didn’t trust him. I hope you understand the difference between a head coach under Don Raul and a manager co-sharing power with Edu. I agree that you should stop yammering on about it. Everyone has their nuanced opinions set in… Read more »
Zacharse £25 million Saliba, loaned straight back out (Medium term investment) £7mill Luiz, we sold Koscielny, so we swapped one ageing centre back past his best, in exchange for another, so no movement there. £25 million Tierney, we lost Monreal who was one of our most consistent players, Tierney was injured when we signed him That left Kolasinac, which left us weaker at the beginning of the season, Tierney had no pre-season, and didn’t come back from injury until the November. £6mill Martinelli, brilliant signing, did well under Emery in the cups, but he was a raw 18yr old coming… Read more »
“We move on, there are better days ahead.”
For once you and I are in agreement.
It’s a bit sad Emery has been a huge topic of discussion in this board for nearly a day now whilst we have this very promising and exciting squad in the now to look forward to seeing next season.
Basically, enough with the Unai talk.
i shoulda been more specific as i was looking at transfermarkt 176m dollars
I’d be well up for a Melo loan. Obviously the trajectory has been downward. I gather some Spanish criticism was that he was crab like. Fell away at Juve but…. Considered to be a leading light of his generation in Brazil. If he’s got anything about him at all he’ll have a point to prove in a family atmosphere within the club and a willing fanbase. The social media impact of Arsenal is bigger than Juve whatever they’ve won .
Could be inspired.
The thing that cannot be said but I’ll say it anyway . Woman keepers are shite !
Chris
lol
I’m sure we’ve agreed, more times than once.
Emery is no more than a tiny footnote, a fleeting moment while the club recovered her breath after Wenger.
I haven’t been as excited for any Arsenal season, since 2007.
In regards Melo failure or relative failure at two clubs in succession is not a good sign.
Graham 62 – Wenger definitely did not have another title run in him.- 10th April 2011 ( or thereabouts) Wenger said he’d happily sign up to finish 2nd for the next twenty years Never , never in the field of professional sport had I ever heard a guy basically say he’d given up on winning. My opinion was he went through a cynical phase attempting to reimagine the game to a tactical top 4 is winning . In some ways he predicted the future I broke with him that day and never returned. Arteta whether he will do it or… Read more »
its so sad chris i’m crying crocodile tears for emery and for your excitement
bacaryisgodJuly 26, 2022 19:33:42 Anyone remember Adam Johnson? March 2nd, 2015: Suspended by Sunderland for two matches after arrest on suspicion of sexual activity with a 15-year old girlMarch 18th, 2015: New manager Dick Advocaat reinstates him to the team. Sunderland continue to select him despite being officiallly charged with 3 offences to which he pleads not guilty to.Feb 6th, 2016: Johnson plays his last match for SunderlandFeb 11th, 2016. Sunderland terminates his contract after Johnson pleads guilty to sexual activity with an underage child and grooming.The reason why it’s important to remember the Adam Johnson case is because if… Read more »
Dissenter
To be fair we probably have agreed on a few things, just doesn’t feel like it 😝
Agree the buzz feels like 06-08 to me a little bit, with the youth players element and feeling of being on the cusp of something special.
Melo is the Brazilan – Lucas Torrierra .. imo. So, . no thanks. Short defensive minded midfielder with good close control dribbling but very little end product or creativity. Who has now failed to make any impact at two, top Clubs. We can do better.
AFCF You Arteta Out wankers don’t ever give it a rest. You represent 0.0001% of fans. It’s a very weird way to behave. Nicely put. I am going to say this and I am going to get a lot of flak for saying it: Those who have not gone to a live game do not know what they are talking about. It feels harsh. And it is. They are all watching the same game as us. BUT… you cannot recreate the atmosphere that we have had at the Em’s on TV. And this is what some online posters do not… Read more »
Togetherness
One has to take their hats off to the 3 Lionesses!!!
3-0 up!!
That 3rd goal was a lovely backheel!!
Come on England!!!
AFC if you dont like my comments dont read them. Ive been supporting Arsenal too long through all the ups and downs to be bothered by what could have been or what should have been. Results are everything the rest is bullshit.
‘’ if it’s Melo we sign, lets refrain from slamming him until we see what they want to do with him.’’
Lol that’s not going to happen
AFC forever,
I think you really underestimate the number of negative minded Arsenal “commenters” out there … it’s probably more like a full 5%.
That’s still a tiny minority.
The only odd thing is that so many end up on legrove somehow.
England Lionesses have beaten Sweden 4-0!!
Onto the final England!!!!!
TheLedgendaryDB10 This is the old footballing trope, you cant be a real fan unless you attend games. It’s bollocks. Ive been a season ticket holder for more years than is sensible. My view is that much of the excitement is based on wishful thinking rather than reality. I hope we are better than last year but we will have to wait and see how it plays out.
Nigel Tufnell
“AFC
I think you really underestimate the number of negative minded Arsenal “commenters” out there ”
Yes you are right, AFC forever is constantly negative about the team that brought us such success in recent years…
The Bard I know where you are coming from. But isn’t wishful thinking part of it all?? Wishful thinking that we can get back to the top? I know it is harsh thinking and I really do not want to take it away from those who do not go to to see the games. I was just trying to put into perspective those who do and why the likes of Pedro and AFCF are so positive. Their positivity comes 100% from the ground. I understand why because i have felt it to. Maybe it is generational thing. As you so… Read more »
The Bard
“. My view is that much of the excitement is based on wishful thinking rather than reality. I ”
We have won a couple of pre season games you know…
Sevilla await on saturday , a different kind of football.
What happens if they play us off the park with their pass and move football.
I suppose if that happens , pre season friendlies will return to being a match where the result is of little importance…
I shall be on the look out for a man in a ruff , quill at hand and a disdainful look on his face. I presume this is how The Bard presents himself at the Emirates ?
Top of the league is my expectation after the first 7 games. Arteta has the team ready and primed for the new season, i just hope we haven’t peaked too early . Wouldn’t it be nice to still be in contention for the league around the new year for when the world cup is finished . The fixtures have fallen nicely for us for a change , after the opening 7 games the matches get harder but i expect our home form to carry us through those difficult games to keep us in contention. The quality of our squad should… Read more »
Bard, you mean your negativity is your view of the truth. Not the reality.
The reality is positive. Objectively.
Fans in the ground know.
Fans on the internet mostly know.
You can be half glass empty, that is your right, just don’t pretend it’s based on reality or a truth. It’s just a debbie downer opinion.
At the weekend i am hoping that Arteta sends the players out to play with intelligence , to stay on their feet and to steer clear of injury… The players have nothing to prove this weekend , they are primed and ready for palace. Wrap partey and jesus up in cotton wool, Arteta probably knows his starting line up for palace, so why not experiment a little on Saturday , give tierney and Tomiyasu the first 45 mins if fit , give turner an hour to see if he is up to standard.. Yes, the match going fans maybe disappointed… Read more »
Pedro
“Bard, you mean your negativity is your view of the truth. Not the reality.”
I was just wondering, is you saying “the club was a bag of shit when arteta arrived” not a negative comment towards Arsenal football club , or is it a different set of rules pre Arteta.
Pierre, not sure you’re the best one to talk about clarity.
Pablo Mari our best centre back, Mesut Ozil not a problem, Arsene Wenger not on the decline…
Arsenal were a bag of shit when Arteta arrived, objectively.
We are not a bag of shit now, objectively.
Pierre
Totally agree with your assessment. This last game should be used as a way to assess the last possible stragglers who could be of usefull to us this season.
I never put any importance to any pre-season games, ever. Whatever result is 100% meaningless to the team, and they know it.
The only important game btw now and the start of the season is 1st game vs Palace.
Odegaard not at the level… now about to be made captain.
You’ve had some real shocking takes since you decided you weren’t going to back Arteta with the same vigor you did Wenger.
Pierre Why shouldn’t fans be excited for this season? Our first team is very competitive, and 2-3 quality signings could see us close the gap on the top two, make us better equipped to sustain consistency across an entire season, and pull away from the pack below us as a result. That would be progress. Even if we don’t manage to make those further improvements this summer, we’ve still got the foundation of an exciting + improving young team, we’ve added 4 exciting players to the squad, two of which should improve us significantly straight off the bat, alongside a… Read more »
Amen to that Rich!
Pierre has his dirty fetishes and fibs about his age, but his overall content is elite.
Then there’s Rich who’s proud of not reading books and instead finds time to pen the same 4k words a day on a blog.
Jamie, Rich has elite football content. When everyone is losing there mind on here, he has the clarity that has been on the money.
Pedro
“Rich has elite football content. When everyone is losing there mind on here, he has the clarity that has been on the money”
Then why do you pay no mind to his balanced approach about a certain Basque former manager.
You seem to pick and choose Rich’s erudition when it suits you.
Pierre “Yes you are right, AFC forever is constantly negative about the team that brought us such success in recent years” That’s not true. I loved some of those players and teams we had. I went to all the fucking games. Unlike you though, I have the ability to see. My eyes work. I don’t have love hearts blocking my vision. What you can’t grasp is that players age, teams regress. One of the fundamental parts of managing and coaching is being able to recognise that fact. You can’t keep the same players forever. I’ve been on the coal face.,You… Read more »
Rich I tried your approach. It doesn’t work mate. You cannot debate with closed minds. We both know we had an ageing poorly balanced squad with players sitting on generous contracts. We’ve both been saying it for years. In order to build a sustainable future things had to change. We have shifted 40 odd players, paid off some. We explained why last season but now Edu’s said the same thing, you would expect the penny to drop. It hasn’t. We have a young team. A tactical identity. We are gradually bringing in players sub 25 years of age, profiled to… Read more »
Rumours that we haven’t bid for Tielemans .because we worry.he isn’t up to it physically, doubt we’re in for Melo either if that’s true. Personally I hope we go for a beast in CM, rather than another small technician. He has to be able to ball obviously but it would be nice to have someone else except for Partey that doesn’t get bullied easily in there. All depends on which formation we go with I suppose. If it’s 2 attacking 8s we need another profile player there, not sure how we’ll cope against the more physical teams then though, and… Read more »
“Can’t wait for the season to start.”
Amen to that. We just spanked Chelsea 4-0 in pre-season.
If that doesn’t get you excited it should at least make you happy.