More news crept out into the Arsenal ether yesterday that gave more credence to the thinking on the blog yesterday…

• Arsenal are a tighter-run ship this summer.

• Valuations put down on paper are going to be adhered to so emotion doesn’t take over.

• The slow movement of Arsenal and the spinning plates stratagems of Andrea Berta are causing players to doubt the seriousness of the Arsenal word.

The only surprise from The Athletic article was how far off our valuation of Rogers was… a full £37m short of where Chelsea ended up. The number is a ludicrous fee, but Chelsea have already started the summer strongly with big sales, they’ll put £100m in the coffers for Enzo, and they’ll probably get some of that dollar back from Villa when Nico Jackson ends up there next season. Meanwhile, Arsenal collecting less money for Leo Trossard than the mooted number they’re demanding for Gabriel ‘12 games in 4 years’ Jesus.

Things got worse for Arsenal in The Athletic story.

Rogers felt he connected to the Spaniard and was impressed by being pursued so passionately by a figure with such a strong reputation as both a player and manager. As one source told The Athletic: "He came away from their conversation thinking Xabi Alonso is the real deal."

This sort of commentary must stick in the craw for Mikel Arteta, because back in the day, his main superpower was being an incredible salesman. Now, as a Premier League Champion, it would appear the magic was not quite there on this one… Alonso, his childhood friend, managed to get the upper hand without Champions League football.

This quote really landed the point I was making yesterday.

Aston Villa co-owner and chairman Nassef Sawiris had the final say on whether Rogers would go. An informal encounter with the Arsenal hierarchy in the US provided an opportunity to discuss a potential transfer.

Hierarchy, for me, tends to insinuate that this encounter was likely not Berta and Arteta… and probably folk from KSE. The big innovation on this deal, according to Ornstein yesterday, was that this Chelsea deal was brokered at speed, owner to owner. Sawiris, informally meeting with the decision-makers at Arsenal, makes sense during a World Cup in which they had a host stadium.

It’s also clear that this deal really did happen fast and the slowness of the deal for both teams was related to the World Cup. Chelsea started negotiations after England lost and the deal was wrapped in 48 hours. There are more stories doing the rounds that Berta was dealing with intermediaries… but I tend to lean on the above… Villa knew Arsenal weren’t going to match their number, so they locked in with Chelsea who just agreed rather than playing silly buggers with spinning plates.

Occam’s Razor people, that’s where we are… valuations are going to be tighter because budgets are going to be more controlled this summer.

This is quite frustrating as a fan, but ultimately, we were treated to something quite outlandish last summer… and now Berta has some work to do to fill the coffers. I don’t think it’s outrageous to suggest that if Chelsea can flog us players like Madueke for £55m, we should be finding a suitor for Martinelli a little easier. If Konsa is valued at £60m, Premier League winner Ben White should probably have a higher valuation than £30m. Finally, if Gabi Jesus is on the market for £20m, we should be taking the keys from Berta because all these valuations are breaking my brain.

Still, I will maintain, Bruno G would be a significant signing for Arsenal and give us an immediate boost in the market. I don’t think I’d be happy to see us going to £85m, but £70m wouldn’t be outrageous considering his qualities and the need in a post-World Cup Declan universe. My big fear on this deal is that Newcastle might end up being a destination for Ethan Nwaneri, who looks like he’ll be locked out by the lesser player in Madueke this summer. That exit, one of ‘pure profit’ nature, really worries me. Ethan is a top talent, he’s a baby, he could end up haunting us as we desperately scratch around for money to bolster our flagging window.

Though there is a general flatness in the fan base right now, we have to remember that there are plenty of very good players that’ll be on the market this summer. Álvarez, Barcola, and names we’re not yet familiar with will enter the fray. I am extremely hopeful that there are some names that could light up our starting 11. My main worry is that the difference-making Premier League talent that tends to have a higher chance of success is looking quite limited. That’s a problem if we get early-season struggles with the fatigued players.

But, we have to roll with the punches. Arsenal’s success has been built on plan Bs and Cs. Only children cry over transfer targets longer than 3 days. Berta and his Human Algorithm buddy will have plenty of options and hopefully be rattling phones to move some bodies to Arsenal. Again, if £80m was available for Rogers, it’s still there… that is a big number, it can get you some big talent. The market was £117m for Rogers because there’s only one team in England crazy enough to go there. If there was another Rogers available, I very much doubt you’d have another buyer ready to do a fee like that.

Big couple of weeks… players are back… let’s start getting in the mood for some very serious pre-seasoning. x

Here’s what’s inside:

🔥 Hottest of Takes — Matt goes after Arsenal’s inability to sell players and makes the case that it’s costing us in the transfer market more than any individual miss. Pete counters with hopium, Man City’s valuation history, and a list of Plan B signings that ended up being better than the Plan A

😤 Morgan Rogers — What Happened And Why — the £117 million valuation, Berta walking away, and why Pete thinks this one was actually the right call. A history of Man City walking away from overpriced targets makes the case

💸 Sell To Buy — Matt’s Big Argument — Madüeke, Zubimendi, Odegaard, Kai, Gyökeres. Matt thinks all of them should have a price. The attack is mid-table without stardust signings and the wages bill is suffocating the window

🏆 Chelsea — The New Title Rivals? — Alonso, no European football, Morgan Rogers signed. Pete and Matt go through why Chelsea might be the most dangerous team in the league next season, not because they’re better but because they’ll be fresher

👔 Arteta’s New Deal — The Power Play — Pete makes the case that Arteta’s comments after the Champions League final were a warning shot, not a promise. And why the power he has at Arsenal is something no other club in the world can offer him. Cesc Fabregas gets a mention as heir apparent

Read more

Here’s what’s inside:

🏆 Spain Win It — Arsenal’s Three World Cup Winners — Merino, Zubimendi and Raya. Pete and Matt on what it means, Merino’s iconic ball-in-the-face moment, and why the final itself was a bit of a wet fish after the England third-place classic

🇺🇸 America’s World Cup — The Verdict — Matt makes the case that the hydration breaks and halftime shows weren’t actually that bad. Pete goes further. Jets fans fighting each other on a train for 15 minutes is noted separately

💸 The Mega Signing Coming — Pete teases something big that’s moving. Matt is very excited. A whole pod dedicated to one deal is already being planned

🛡️ Consa vs John Stones — The Saliba Problem — Saliba’s back issue means Arsenal need cover and they need it now. Pete makes a bold case for John Stones on a short-term deal. Matt raises the injury record concern and doesn’t fully capitulate. Both agree on one thing: the attack needs every penny first

⚠️ The Defensive Depth Chart Is Terrifying — Saliba, Gabriel, Timber, Ben White, Mosquera. Pete goes through them one by one and the question marks pile up. The Arsene Wenger “it’ll be fine” approach is explicitly rejected

🔜 Coming Soon — The Morgan Rogers Special — a whole episode dedicated to missing out on Rogers and what it means for the window. Keep your eyes peeled

Read more

My oh my, what a difference 24 hours can make to the mood of Arsenal fans.

David Ornstein dropped a monster story yesterday afternoon that was CATACLYSMIC in impact.

So many layers to unpack here…

Firstly, how does a team like Chelsea keep on finding bottomless pits of money? They are not in the Champions League this season, they have had all sorts of clashes over their finances, yet somehow… they have found £117m and potentially a 7-year deal for one of the best English U24 players on the planet. Ornstein said on a podcast that this was an owner to owner deal, it was done fast, it’s the full whack of cash.

Kind of crazy…

Now, I will say, ignore all the ‘only has eyes for Arsenal’ chatter that goes on. Most players, unless they are Max Dowman, will have preferences, but not definitives. When it all shakes out, the best money, a clearly defined project, and the longest deal comes out way ahead of anything emotional like who they supported as a kid. Arsenal might have been the preference, but we didn’t offer the best money, we didn’t move fast, and we forget that at the top of the market, speed is usually the greatest asset.

But more to the point… Andrea Berta didn’t have the money to do this deal, he tried to drag it out from what I’ve heard, that annoyed everyone along the way apparently, and Rogers’ people sniffed out the strategy… probably by looking at what happened last summer. In the end, owners stepped in, and made it happen man to man.

Again… first big clue… we are dragging out deals (Bruno) or walking away from numbers that are too rich (Monga/Fernandes)

So let’s make this complicated outcome easier to digest, using a little bit of copium to get through.

Money is likely a little bit tighter than we think

Arsenal spent about £300m last summer. This was not what we expected. It was an exception to the rule. It was… a madness. I don’t think that was the number people were planning towards at the start of last year.

When the dust settled, what happened that none of us spoke about? Arsenal axed Tim Lewis, when most thought he’d be promoted. They reshuffled the board, and there was only one position we spoke about, because we were all kind of wowed by it.

Ben Winston was the showstopper. Young, dynamic, incredibly successful both sides of the pond in the world in media and production. He would be capable of elevating the club to new levels in many areas that are fundamental to being a global power player… he was added to the board to help Arsenal go to the next level in the world of media partnerships… and also, let us not forget, we added the care of a massive Arsenal fan. Something I think we can all agree on felt like it lacked, at least at a level we could connect with. Strategically, this made sense. From an outcome perspective, one would sense that we have already seen exciting movement here.

What didn’t we talk about? The other three members and why they were added. This is how the Arsenal website framed it.

Along with this change comes evolution to our Board of Directors, led by Co-Chairs, Stan and Josh Kroenke. After five years with Arsenal, Tim Lewis steps down from the Board and has left the club. Kroenke Sports & Entertainment’s Kelly Blaha and Otto Maly will join our Board as Non-Executive Directors alongside long-time KSE advisor, Dave Steiner. They will bring the KSE family closer together and offer a wide range of expertise to strengthen Arsenal.

What do we have?

Kelly — Finance.

Otto — Day to day operator of KSE sports franchises.

Dave — Accounting.

First name terms on a blog? Why not.

I have worked for an English independent company that was taken over by a Japanese company, which put it under the control of an American leadership group. What is the message when names like that come in after excesses of an earn out?

Financial control, baby.

Did you put an M&S luxury prawn sandwich on your expense report between the hours of 18:00 and 20:00? Fired. Did you stay in a Holiday Inn Premium Deluxe ++ instead of a Premium Luxe + on Thursday night? Fired. Dear lord, tell me you didn’t have a Jack Daniel’s and Coke vs a Jack Daniel’s and Sainsbury’s Coca-LOLa? Fired.

When they helicopter in the Americans, exit the English lawyer who was in love with the manager, let me tell you… there’s usually a reason for it and this one feels fairly clear to me based on those job titles. This happened in September, right after a summer that blew our damn minds. The last time timing worked so clinically was when Tim Lewis was brought into the club, and Raul was out weeks later. Again, after a lot of expenditure.

I am not suggesting Arsenal won’t spend this summer, I just think there’s a new world Andrea Berta and Mikel Arteta are living in, and it’s a world much more alligned with processes and rigor we saw pre-Berta. We can’t be the richest spenders, so let’s be the smartest, and if a deal looks crazy, we’re going to walk away. That is essentially how Man City operated for years - they dropped out of many deals as soon as the finances got too heavy. They passed on Declan Rice, but also a number of others.

• Jorginho (2018) — City had a deal shaping up with Napoli, but pulled out when the price rose to £57m, leading Chelsea to sign the midfielder instead. goal

• Harry Maguire (2019) — City were keen but refused to meet Leicester’s asking price of £80m, which saw the defender eventually move to Manchester United instead. goal

• Kalidou Koulibaly (2020) — Same story with Napoli again; City withdrew from a deal to sign Koulibaly from Napoli in 2020. goal

• Marc Cucurella (2022) — City backed away from a move for Marc Cucurella, who later moved to Chelsea from Brighton for more than £60m. goal

• Riyad Mahrez (2017 window) — City pursued him but were unwilling to meet Leicester’s £95m valuation, though they did eventually sign him a year later for a lot less. ESPN

• Harry Kane (2021) City's real number one target after losing Sergio Aguero. Their opening bid was £100m guaranteed plus the option of including players, which Spurs rejected outright. City then prepared an improved offer, but Daniel Levy's valuation sat around £150m, while City weren't willing to go that high — City wanted to get closer to £120m even after already breaking the British transfer record for Jack Grealish. ESPN

I also think the through thread of the summer makes a lot more sense… we spent a huge sum last summer, didn’t sell any players. We have an even bigger squad this summer, still haven’t sold any players. If you want to be dispassionate here the way an owner like Stan would be… why does a squad that won the Premier League with loads of injuries AND was within a penalty shootout of a Champions League final need a £400m upgrade? I know, I know, it’s more complicated than that. But you’re not selling me on this idea here, I want us to spend… you’re selling a guy who runs businesses sustainably. They might be looking at the squad and asking, at what point, do we shift players that are not needed? Where are the sales? Villa and Chelsea seem to be very capable of selling players, where are the Arsenal exits? How is our record sale STILL The Ox.

Berta and Arteta

I’ve seen a lot of commentary about Arteta demanding a big summer after the Champions League and some anger being put the way of the Sporting Director. Matt Scott has it right, they don’t set the budgets. If they don’t have the money to work with, they aren’t going to be able to do much. If you valued Rogers at £85m, then go back to the board as have to ask for £32m extra, how do you think serious business people view those convervsations? It’s not easy. Have you ever had to ask your boss for £10k extra on a salary for talent? Doesn’t often go well. Now imagine asking for that much money that has to come out of their pocket. You are not only asking for more, you are also saying you don’t believe in your valuation, which is an indecisive look.

Can Berta be criticised for moving slow? I think there’s a grain of truth that his approach to saying he’s interested in everyone, then slowballing clubs, or generally messing everyone around, might not always be the best way to operate. But at the end of the day, what makes transfers move fast is conviction… and having the money to push a deal over the line.

One thing that stood out to me hearing Josh Kroenke discuss spending £105m on Declan was that the whole exec team was brought in on the deal and knew what was happening. It wasn’t a deal based on emotion or a whim. It wasn’t reactionary. I do wonder if the spinning plates approach of Berta might feel a little unplanned and rushed? Opportunistic moves also tend to cost more money. I’m thinking of that Eze deal that probably could have been wrapped earlier in the summer. If you’ll remember, Steve Parish telegraphed his availability September 2024.

“I was really worried from a club point of view of losing Michael and Ebbs in the same window and we didn’t have in Ebbs the interest that I thought we would have,”

“I was astounded. Genuinely astounded. I mean, the guy’s just an outstanding footballer, an outstanding person.”

Instead of moving early, we waited until Spurs had a fee agreed, and went in above it. That cost us money. Remember, Olise, the younger player, moved for £50.8m. How did we end up at £67m? Hard to imagine that wasn’t related to the late move desperation and having to blow Spurs out the water. Eze, was clearly not part of the early summer plans… does it make for incomfortable chats to be asked to fork out big cash last minute?

As for Mikel Arteta, he’s about to sign the richest deal in world football. He’ll be pushing £25m a year. He will always demand money for players, he doesn’t care about finances, he just wants the best players… as he should. One positive is I am sure he’ll be pushing to have assurances over transfer spend in his deal so we are competitive. Also, I’m not worried about him leaving… no doubt, he’d have suitors. But he’s in the Wenger position now, no other club would afford him the power we have give him. That’s a good thing in the short term, because Arteta is the best in the game… longterm, it’s not great that we afford coaches so much power. Never ends well.

Targets can shift…

Do you have faith in the system that brought you a Premier League title and a Champions League final?

No?

Stop reading, go outside, and give yourself the hairdryer treatment.

Ok. Are we ready to be serious? Good.

Transfer windows are crazy. We attach ourselves to names before we even think about how they’ll work. If you are telling me that you wrapped last season and said, you know what boys and girls?

‘We need Morgan Rogers to tip us over the edge next season…’

I would not be believing you.

Is he a good player? Sure. Is he the difference maker we’ve been crying out for? I’m not so sure. There are some red flags for me in his game and he just simply isn’t a £117m player. Not in any world. He ranks 33rd of 35 for ball control in the Premier League up against other attacking midfielders. 221th of 251 for the same metric at the World Cup. An alarming number for a player who will be up against filthy deep blocks that require extreme levels of control to meander.

Arsenal have missed out on plenty of first-choice targets and we’re still the Premier League Champions.

• Declan over Caicedo.

• Zinchenko over Martínez.

• Big Vik over Sesko.

• Jesus over Vlahovic.

• Trossard over Mudryk.

• Odegaard over Maddison.

Rogers, for me, felt like the sort of signing Arteta typically goes for… powerful, fast, a little bit unsophisticated.

Don’t we want better? Are we really convinced a player with an average touch is the level we didn’t have last season? No way. I’m not having it. Too many people agree with me, but just don’t like the principle that we missed out on someone Arteta wanted.

New targets will emerge, old targets will drop…

I have heard there are strong feelings of positivity that Arsenal will get the Bruno deal over the line in the coming weeks. The fee will not be £100m, Newcastle have to sell him, I have my doubts that United would go to £100m in a gazump move. I also have faith that this player does actually want Arsenal, and so does his agent (I know what I said earlier). A deal is there to be done and there are absolutely no doubts about his ability to impact the club. For me, Bruno would be a better signing for our needs than Rogers ever could be, even with the age issue.

I also think there are other targets the club is working on that will come to light. We might not have nation state money, but there will be room to spend, especially if do sell some players who are sure to have some sort of market rate.

Exploding this early in the summer, after we’ve won a title, feels a little premature… especially over someone like Rogers. I have been told that there are no worries at Arsenal, so we should trust that it’ll all work out, just like that Sampha song. You know I wouldn’t write something like that unless it came from a good place.

Putting money on the obvious isn’t always a winning idea (copium trigger warning)

Liverpool spent £400m last summer, and we all thought that was it; Arsenal’s progress was about to be sledge-hammered by some wow signings… we were wrong. Badly wrong. But does anyone ever hold their hands up when rich transfers flunk? No.

Spending the most money doesn’t always equate to the best outcomes. This has been the whole United model for 10 years. It is the entire Chelsea project. Even Spurs have spent a fortune and have back to back 17th places. Arsenal did not get to where they are by being the biggest spenders, they got their the hard way, making smart decisions.

If I were to be really harsh, last summers signings were mostly floor raisers and many of them didn’t live up to the billing. We packed the squad and the packers allowed us to suffer less when inevitbable big ticket injuries landed. But were we massively better at expanding margins last season? I’d say no. We just had more of the fine ones roll our way.

The amount you spend isn’t always equal to the success you get out the back end. Liverpool went backwards, barely made Champions League, sacked their manager and lost their football CEO.

There are plenty of players available that could move the needle, especially when the reality of our campaign last season, that no one wants to talk about, is this… we won the Premier League with monster injuries and those players will be more available this season.

My hot take? Fitness will be more key to what we do next season than big signings.

… oh, you read my post from yesterday, and you are concerned here as well? I’m sorry man. Just a lot of negativity out here right now.

Let’s quickly chat on something more promising…

England played the most pointless game of 2026… the 3rd place play-off. They smashed France in a brutal 10-goal showing. Declan was immense, so was Saka, this is how the numbers finished.

Minutes played since August 2025:

• Declan Rice — 5,394

• Chelsea — 5,310

• Liverpool — 5,130

• Tottenham — 4,680

• Man Utd — 3,600

Ugly. Take nothing away from what I penned yesterday. If Declan is in the starting 11 for the Community Shield, we are finished.

BUT… I like this interview from Saka.

‘Yeah, I’m fit, I’m fit’

Ok, that’s all I got today… see you in the comments. x

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Just a quick debrief for your wonderful eyes.

William Saliba surgery catastrophising on the internet is just for clicks, sure, he’ll be out, but don’t buy into random French accounts pretending they have the diagnosis and the name of the doctor he’s working with. It’s all nonsense. He’ll be out, no doubt, but talks of December are totally wrong.

The big decision is what the club does about the stand-in. Can we rely on Mosquera to take on that role? Ben White will probably not be here at the start of the season and even if he were, not exactly Mr Reliable from a physical perspective, is he? Jurrien Timber is an option; it might be better for him to ease himself in as a centre back… or the club could just go out and sign someone.

I’m not a fan of Konsa and I don’t like the idea of John Stones because his ligaments are made of lettuce. If we don’t make a move, it does leave us light, so one would imagine the club is going to have to find a value option. But, Mosquera, season 2… he SHOULD be the guy, right? If he’s not, what is going on here?

All of this speaks to the immense challenges we have going into season two. There are many layers to the problems ahead, physical, culture-related, staffing, and the overall cadence of the new season, which is not ideal.

I’m here to put a stake in the dusty ground of a summer-baked pitch… I think storm clouds could be gathering on the horizon, and I’m scared.

Let’s begin…

I’ve been here before on firings, but Arteta seems to have moved extremely aggressively against his backroom team, despite a lot of the issues probably being more closely tied to his belief systems and those of coaches like Gabriel Heinze who have a… let’s say, a more ‘traditional’ view on player fitness and what a gritty mentality is all about (always the ones you most suspect, right?). Here’s something Heinze-related for you to ponder when you’re hemming and hawing about how Arsenal land on diabolical fitness situations every April.

Also on Monday, Fox Sports reported some of the details of Heinze’s demands on the players, including that he and his staff denied them water during training and that the team’s medical staff had to step in. A club source said that Heinze and his staff were constantly at odds with the team’s trainers, sports science staff and medical personnel.

The Athletic was able to confirm that during pre-season training, Heinze and his staff sought to mimic the number of water breaks that the players would receive on a match day. Both the players and training staff requested to increase those breaks during practice. The matter was discussed internally and it did not occur again.

After midfielder Emerson Hyndman tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during the international break earlier in June, one current Atlanta United player told The Athletic, “They broke him. They’re killing the guys with two practices a day. The staff haven’t given a day off in weeks.”

I’m not saying the above is going on at Arsenal, merely that it points to a machismo mindset that we’ve heard from Arteta when referencing fitness in the past. Remember, the man screaming all day long in his ear is the person he’s closest to at Arsenal both professionally and personally… and that chunk of text is said guy’s belief system — whether he’s tamed it or not. Let’s be honest, Heinze’s views aren’t a million miles away from this.

Look at the top players in the world, they play 70 matches every three days and you have to do that. If we put something different in their minds I think that would be a huge mistake.

Guess who said that 4 years ago and has had injury issues every season since?

When I read stuff like this, the part of my brain that forces me to ponder whether the chemtrails in the sky are part of a global conspiracy to control the weather starts to synthesise what has been going on at Arsenal with the firings…

… the firings that all came after a friend of Arteta came to town to run an impartial audit. I’m not implying there were no problems, but did this random consultant really come in, look at what was going on, and say… lose these guys, they’re holding you back? After we won the league? No improvements offered, no process adjustments, just fire a bunch of people? Seems crazy for a consultant and very unsophisticated. Things were so bad, the only solve on offer was… termination. Folk that had been at Arsenal years… gone? Was the intent to get better people in? Or to find people who would be more aligned with the machismo views that seem core to Arteta’s identity?

There are always consequences to this style of management style.

Sacrificing good people for very little reason strikes fear into an organisation. It can also weaken the commitment of folk who thought the ‘we are a big family’ chat meant something. If you know that one day, out of the blue, you could find your Achilles severed with a bag over your head, getting marched to the car park… and the rationale for said corporate execution is not something the shop floor believes was fair, how does it impact behaviour? Does it encourage a more open environment where experts challenge bullsh*t dogma? Does it lead to more blind obedience? Does it create cliques? Does it create hidden power structures that lead to inefficient decisions? What is the standard if the obedient people can lose their heads the same way terrible talent is axed? It’s very confusing and can have negative consequences for the culture. Just look at how Mourinho dressing rooms go when he pulls similar types of moves.

Also, do not exclude the players from this. They get very attached to backroom staff who cultivate close relations with them during some very dark times. They also gossip the same way we do. They have WhatsApp slander groups as well.

I know I’ve said this before, but losing your job in football is tougher than losing your typical corpo job in the city. There simply aren’t that many big jobs in England - sorry, in football, full stop. Even if there are jobs, you could end up having to move your family hundreds of miles away… or to another country entirely. James Ellis, exArsenal Technical Director, ended up at Bristol City. What a coup for them, but it isn’t out at Arsenal, into another Premier League club, even for the most experienced and talented people.

When you do chop talent that took you to a Premier League title and a Champions League final, you best believe you have to make sure that the next batch of people you bring in are at the very top of the game with lots of experience, plucked from the far reaches of the world based on insane recruitment stratagems (not concentrated in one country), with résumés dripping in whitepapers, awards, and plaudits from top-level managers and coaches. If they are not, you have a problem. You cannot fight it when someone lovely is fired for someone exceptional (Ramsdale > Raya). But if that is not the case, it can have terrible ramifications. If a system is not built on merit, it is built on something else. That something else is never good, and people always smell it.

Have Arsenal upgraded exceptionally? Do the résumés of all these new hires look like world-class moves? We just won the Premier League, are we picking off folk with 15 years of winning experience — or true innovators in the field with extensive records that make the firings look worthy? I don’t know. But the Arsenal shop floor will.

The final concern I have is that ripping out a huge chunk of institutional knowledge in one hit, bringing in a group of people, some with questionable experience levels… and hoping they can:

• Tame a domineering manager.

• Learn the business (tech, tools, politics).

• Manage a horrible World Cup summer.

• Deal with some chronic injury issues.

• Gel with the players.

• Gel with the interconnected nature of all the other new staff they need to work closely with.

Feels quite high risk, wouldn’t you say? New people come with new ideas. They fight to push new ideas to justify value. They suggest new technology, new processes, different ways of doing things… all of this can have disruptive consequences for a well-oiled factory machine. Also, think of the power vacuum and the bar fight to fill it.

Next concern is the players… the thing I will be watching for is how soon Arteta brings players back. August 16th in the Community Shield. If we see players like Declan Rice in that game, we are in trouble next season. These guys should be getting proper time off to recover. If we’re seeing a full team of World Cup heroes, that’ll set the tone for what’s coming next season and that’ll be trouble.

Regardless of what the coach wants, I do not expect players to play through chronic injuries again this season. At some point, they’ll listen to their bodies, and refuse to go along with it. Pain is your body saying NO… if you ignore it long enough, you get Saliba’d… my gut is that last season players like Big Gabi, Saliba, Timber, Odegaard, and Kai played through the pain to get the big trophy. I would be shocked if they’re as willing this season. There is going to be a blip with performances as there always is… but I think you’re more likely to see players just say, no, not this time.

Final worry… unless Arteta works some extreme magic with Stan K, I think we’re going to have to shift players this summer. Talk of £400m spend again feels a little bit off. Bruno, Tzolis, and Rogers… that seems more likely where we land. Is that enough muscle to work past the problems with the spin I talked about above? Maybe.

A big start is the great hope… momentum is a wonderful thing. If we start strong and never look back, we could defeat the monsters under the bed. But a lot has to go right there. New players have to settle, broken players need to mend well, and we have to hope that all my chatter is just a load of waffle.

I also have a tiny bit of hope that other clubs around us are going to have similar issues… but worse ones with new coaches, new players, and old problems they won’t have fully addressed.

This is a big season ahead for Mikel Arteta. He is now, officially, the King of Arsenal Football Club. How will he use the power? Who will check it? How do we make sure we don’t suffer the same fate we did last time we handed the keys to the kingdom to one man. Too much power can shift focus, push you into bad decisions, and make you forget what got you to the promised land. This is going to be a pivotal season for Arsenal, and I’m going on record, I am worried that it might be a bad one if things continue down the path they are right now.

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Here’s what’s inside:

📞 The Tzolis Data Drop — Pete pulls up eight slides of Christos Tzolis data live on the pod. Champions League touch quality, ball carrying, pressured shooting. The lads are excited. Nobody replied to the WhatsApp with an emoji

🌍 World Cup Memories — Pedro, Matt & The Vuvuzelas — a South African member asks Pedro and Matt about their World Cup experiences. Pete reflects on watch parties in St Louis, the USMNT fever, and why he’s more convinced than ever he made the right call coming to MLS. Matt just says vibes were immaculate. He’s right

💸 Is Man City Deliberately Distorting The Transfer Market? — Elliot Anderson, Semenyo, Gayi. Are these desperation signings or financial warfare? Pete, Johnny and Matt go through the theory and land in very different places. Nicolas Pepe gets brought up. It’s relevant

🏟️ The Opening Day XI — No Saliba, No Rice, No Saka — a member asks the three amigos to pick a realistic starting lineup for the first few weeks of the season and identify where investment is most urgent. Mosquera gets a big vote of confidence. So does Myles Lewis-Skelly

🛡️ Gabriel — Indispensable — a caller raises the distribution concern. Pete shuts it down immediately. The heartbeat of shithousery stays. Johnny and Matt both agree

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Here’s what’s inside:

🔥 Hottest of Takes — Jacob has had a slap and got himself on the Morgan Rogers train. He explains the comparison that finally convinced him and it’s a good one. Pete has lingering concerns about a bad touch statistic that’s been haunting him all summer

💸 The Rogers Debate — Settled? — a deep dive into what Rogers actually does, why Emery’s system may have flattered him, and whether Arteta can get even more out of him. Jacob’s Premier League Dembélé framing is the line of the pod

😤 Bruno G — Is It Slipping Away? — the Newcastle situation, the price movement, the agent history. Pete and Jacob go through why this one feels harder than it did a month ago and what the alternatives look like

🌍 World Cup Debrief — the highlights, the lowlights, and a proper honest conversation about England vs Argentina. Jacob goes after Kane and Jed Spence. Pete defends Tuchel and makes the case that Declan Rice and Saka being half-fit cost England a final

🗑️ Get Rid Of The Carabao Cup — Pete’s closing argument, and it’s Arsenal-adjacent. Nobody is disagreeing

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Well, I’m feeling mighty deflated this morning.

This is the soundtrack to my day. I’m emotionally wounded, exhausted, and extremely distressed at the collapse of my country.

We took the lead, I was dreaming… then things got decidedly negative. Dan Burn coming on was ominous. This was no Rob Holding shutting down games from 4 years ago. Then O’Reilly for Declan? You knew it was over. NEVER take Declan off (secretly glad to be honest).

Tuchel bottled it with the subs, we invited pressure onto ourselves, we offered players like De Paul and Messi ample chances to find players in the box, and in the end… Messi did us, like he’s done so many teams in the past. Can’t knock his greatness. Check out this crazy data viz.

A World Cup semifinal cannot be sniffed at… but man, I’ve left that game feeling like we could have been a bit more aggressive after going a goal up. Very sad. But what can you do?

One of the amusing things about the World Cup is you can watch the captain of a club that finished 17th twice (Romero) in a row giving it the big one. Someone totally devoid of elite attributes, behaving like they’re on top of the game. You can also see someone from the same team line-up as fullback against Messi (and largely do quite well).

Point here… World Cup is not a good barometer for talent. It’s a world-class spectacle, but the performances don’t usually translate into the Premier League. Steering clear of hype players is a must. Unless that hype player is Morgan Rogers, who had a banger assist for Gordon last night. I am a little lost with Rogers, clearly, a very good player. But £120m worth of good player? I’m not clear on that. These players who are xG defiers worry me. The very best do it every year. But sometimes, the xG collapsers can be that because they play in teams that allow them to do that. Will Rogers be afforded that freedom at Arsenal? I love that he’s flexible in position… just hope this isn’t another flat signing built for power and control, and we get the slimmed-down version of him because he’s not in a team that allows him to run on the counter.

The first major signing of the summer appears to be Christo Tzolis. The Greek winger will join Arsenal for a lowly fee of £33m accoridng to David Orstein. Below is a bit of a data dump for members, along with a wonderful presentation to help you get to the bottom of what we’ve signed in the winger (bottom of the post).

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Come on, what a day, 95% of the world PRAYING England don’t defeat Argentina. The whole FIFA marketing team literally BEGGING for Messi to make it to the final. Are England the Arsenal of the world stage? I think so. The global audience does NOT intrinsically understand our underlying greatness data the way we always have.

Today, is our chance at a glorious final.

Beat Argentina, our arch international nemesis… the Aston Villa of international football, then take down an extremely impressive Spain like it was 1763 again. Come on, we can do a little 1700s war banter now and then, right? I won’t mention the other one, I promise.

F…F…F…finally, England is at the big boy table of international football. A semifinal on the biggest stage of all. Saka, Madueke, Eze, and Rice will all likely play a role. Could be the most magical day of their lives, could be f*cking horrific. I’m not sure if England fans are quite what they were when Beckham took an extremely petulant red card in 1998. As I remember it, West Ham fans burned an effigy of Beckham and the whole country was shamefully disgusting about him. Yes. Not our finest moment, but Beckham had the last laugh, he’s in Home Depot adverts sipping garden G&Ts, and those West Ham fans are in the Championship. Ouch.

What do I want as an Arsenal fan? I want the Arsenal boys to have an incredible day… and most importantly, I need them to survive the game.

The first major setback for an Arsenal player this World Cup, other than a missed penalty, happened to Willy Saliba. His back finally succumbed to reality, and he hobbled out of the France semi-final early in the first half. We know it was his back because Julien Laurens said he mouthed.

‘My back is gone.’

Devastating for the player, we’ve known he’s struggled with this chronic injury for a while, and we heard rumblings the issue was so bad, it was probably going to need a procedure of sorts. Does that make it better? I’m not sure. I used a little bit of that ol’ medical expert called AI, and this is what it suggested based on the details around Saliba that we know.

Playing through a chronic back condition (likely disc-related, given the described pain pattern) for months means repeated loading on a structure that’s already compromised. Instead of one clean surgical fix at a time of the team’s choosing, the injury can progress — more disc degeneration, more nerve involvement, or a shift from something manageable with rehab to something requiring more extensive surgery.

Probably slightly irresponsible of me to guess at these sorts of things but is it really guessing if a robot overlord says it? Irregardless, which shouldn’t be a word, but to my horror is: I’m not sure we’re seeing Saliba before October. This is one of the challenges of big athletic players. They put a lot of load on their bodies, and the wear and tear can really add up, especially in a league as demanding as the Premier League.

Wishing him a speedy recovery…

How Arsenal deal with this is going to be interesting. We’re really in a bit of a spot. Ben White is a natural right-sided centre back with a lot of experience; tucking inside could work for him as he enters his late twenties, but he’s coming back from a serious injury. Mosquera is the anointed next man up. He has the height, the speed, and the technique. He’s a little young, but I think it’s fair to say he was one of the more impressive Arsenal signings of last season. Timber can also play there… but I don’t think he’ll be back any time soon. I’ve not heard whether he had surgery, but it can’t have been far off, given all the failed returns he had while chasing the Champions League final and the World Cup that he eventually had to pass on.

More broadly, I can’t say this loud enough… we are in for a very, very tough season next year. Brace for impact. The injury issues we are starting to see have partly been exacerbated by having a crop of psycho players who put their bodies on the line to win the Premier League. Now they have that, there are invoices the body needs payment on.

Declan Rice is a broken man and we’ll be lucky to get him back in one piece.

Bukayo isn’t starting World Cup games because he’s probably not at his peak of fitness. All these guys say they’re ok because they’re tough as nails and they want to play.

Saliba, done for at least 3 months.

Timber, not going to start the season.

How many mega teams can survive injury issues like that? No amount of transfer spend is going to counter those losses if they’re over the long term. I’m also watching for how often those players are out. Will they continue to play through the pain? I watched the Merino video on Arsenal.com; he said, ‘Sometimes you wake up, and you say, no, I don’t want to suffer today.’

Arsenal players suffered all season, but there comes a point when you have to say no, because you don’t want early retirement or a poor final contract because you can’t hack the pace and your body gives up.

There’s no news on the transfer front that we haven’t covered over and over again. Trossard has gone to Beşiktaş officially. We still don’t have any movement on any of the fancy names we’ve been linked to. The only real noise out yesterday was that Man City might be in for Bouadbi for €100m. The report suggested some elite clubs favor keeping him at Lille for another year. Quite mad to see the excesses of Man City across the board this summer, or, should I be clearer… calling an excessive club excessive because they’re spending in excess of their excessiveness is what I’m getting at.

The irritating part about some of their moves is that they are resetting benchmarks in the league for the price of talent, which doesn’t matter to them, they have unlimited money. But it does matter to clubs like Liverpool and Arsenal who now have to accept that a top prospect is now £40m more than 5 years ago. To get a very good midfielder is now £100m. When prices are like that, it means there’s less you can do in the market. That’s a shame.

But that is also the nature of the beast, and it’s not like we don’t have an ownership group that can flex or revenues that are restricting our abilities to move in the market. Arsenal has a plan; let’s see how well they execute this summer. I have total faith we’ll get what we need, just no idea when that’ll happen.

Just quickly on that Lamine penalty he earned against Digne. What the hell was that? You can now run into the foot of a player making a clearance… and win a penalty? Digne didn’t even know he was coming. Absolutely absurd. Quite a shame that ref decisions seem to be getting worse as the competition draws on. Cannot imagine what is in store for England this afternoon. Also, why are English fans getting the good 8pm kick-offs? I have to slink out of work, and you’re all out at a peak time enjoying the game? Disgrazia!

I hope everyone has a great time, England fans more so. A big, fat, memorable event… that is absolutely disgusting to watch, but with a joyous ending for the memories. Let’s see what Declan and the boys have up their sleeves! COME ON ENGUUUURLAND! x

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Here’s what’s inside:

🔥 Hottest of Takes — Jacob is starting to worry Arsenal won’t get Bruno G, and he explains exactly why Newcastle’s situation makes it harder than anyone thought. Johnny goes the other way on Alvarez — he doesn’t want h…

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Here’s what’s inside:

🔥 Hottest of Takes — Jacob is already planning where to stand on Sunday night and has a point to make about who invented street celebrations. Johnny makes the case that Morgan Rogers is the closest thing England have to Bellingham right now — and what that means for Arsenal

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England’s Route To The Final — the semi-final draw, the France problem, the Spain alternative, and why Johnny thinks styles make fights in a way that could actually suit England

😤 Tuchel vs Bellingham — A Storm In A Teacup — Jacob gives the measured take the English press couldn’t. Why both men were doing exactly their jobs, and why the media deserves at least some of the side-eye

⚽ Merino — The Arsenal One To Watch — he’s been a force majeure at this tournament. Johnny and Jacob on what it does for his confidence, and what it means for pre-season

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I’m swimming, in a small bucket, with the same three transfer rumour crabs, and it feels like we’re never exiting. The only one that escaped was the one I least wanted.

The latest ‘progress’ is that Newcastle have leaked to their Telegraph ITK top dog that Arsenal have been misled by intermediaries on the deal, because actually, £50m is unlikely, and… they want £100m.

Well, they’re not getting £100m from anyone, are they? We have to take all of this with a grain of kosher sea salt. You know, the thick crunchy stuff they put on tomatoes in nice restaurants. Why? Because I’d be hard pressed to believe that a Sporting Director of Andrea Berta’s experience would be in a conversation with an agent nodding along with fantasy prices when he could just pick up the phone to the big dogs at Newcastle and ask what the price is. Also, not to pretend I am some big dog at valuations, but did anyone really feel good that Newcastle would let Bruno go for £50m? Not really a good price, is it?

Am I missing something? Does letting agents chum the water with nonsense make a club more likely to deal with you? I’m not in the game, so I don’t really get this. Intermediaries are there to help gauge interest from the player, to figure out the number, and feel out whether it’s worth having an official chat so the player can speak to the manager.

If we’re getting the agent to broker the fee, I fear we are lost… but again, this isn’t 2017, we’re a serious club now, so one would hope if Bruno is the target, we’d know the cost. I really wouldn’t want to see us acting the title-winning big bollocks by spending £100m on a player who is 29 this year. In the Premier League? Big dopey move.

The danger of milling around carefree while telling every player in Europe you are interested is that other clubs just nip in and buy them. Or worse, slink in and start the bidding war. I am pretty sure Arsenal could have picked up Eze for a cheaper deal last summer if we’d moved early, vs going for a late gazump when Spurs had all but agreed terms with the player. If we’d moved in May, my hunch is Spurs wouldn’t have even bid.

The other byproduct of messing around is the second-order consequences. Spurs just lost their minds and spent £100m on Tonali. That means Newcastle aren’t worried about financial fair play like they were, and one suspects they are more than willing to play hardball on Bruno because now they have leverage.

The final benefit of not playing the ‘let’s tell everyone they’re sexy’ game is that if you just make your moves early, everyone can be there for pre-season and there are no mad surprises. There is nothing that gums up a season worse than late-arriving BIG signings.

Oh, one more benefit of moving early… You don’t have to watch Newcastle lose out on a centre midfielder they really like to Aston Villa, thus reducing the chances of letting Bruno go easily.

We should forgive Arsenal for their transfer tardiness, not sure many teams, outside the mad spenders have made moves that have changed the game. Even Elliot Anderson's spending doesn’t really have me worried - good player, but not sure that’s quite doing what Declan did for Arsenal. Did you see Haaland scoffing at his fee after being pushed in the England game? Very amusing.

Still, we must be patient. Plenty of movement will happen this summer. We also have to remember that not many players can improve us… which is why our first signing was a carefully thought-out move to bring in Leeds ' third-choice keeper, who they let leave on a free because no one would buy him. Sorry, I’m still not over it.

Julián, Bradley, Morgan, even Tzolis would heal the wounds. And deep wounds they are… because I am a weak-minded Arsenal fan with no patience for process.

Beşiktaş has agreed a deal with Trossard; he’ll be on a three-year deal, which was probably not on the table with Arsenal. Good luck to him, I wish him all the success. Will he be the first of many exits? Possibly. There are rumours that Norgaard has been attracting Saudi interest. A cool £89m transfer deal is being mooted, but really, I’d take the £12m we bought him for. Not a lot of news on other hot exit names… Martinelli hype is quiet. Nothing on Ben White. Nothing on Gyokeres or Kai Havertz.

I’m told Arsenal have to sell this summer… we’ve seen Berta can spend money, but can he break the duck of Sporting Director flops we’ve had when it comes to selling? We shall see… I literally don’t have the answers. But I swear down, if I see Reiss at pre-season give the thumbs up and get the news that ‘JESUS IS HAVING THE PRESEASON OF A LIFETIME ’, I’m going to be fuming.

Ok, that’s me done. Podcasts resume today. Hope you’re having a wonderful day. SEE YOU TOMORROW FELLOW FIENDS x

England did what they needed to do to send the Norwegians and their little gimmick back to whence they came.

I’m not sure it was a shining example of beautiful and dominant English football, but there was certainly a lot of guts and determination on display from a group of players clearly cooked by the sun and the season they’ve all just had. Not to align myself with world-class athletes, but as a middle-aged man, I had to play in a professional stadium in 100-degree heat the other day, and it was debilitating. I have no idea how these kids keep it up. It is seriously impressive the work rate they put in and how they still keep it going after 120 minutes.

Declan Rice didn’t last the whole game. He didn’t even make it out to the second half. Apparently he has been very ill. It was a shame, because you could clearly notice the difference in midfield when he wasn’t on the pitch. But man, three days in bed and he can still play like that? What a warrior.

Saka really was quite sublime when he was introduced. He was beating men and finding no one in the box for his delightful crosses. I think our collective worry at this point is why he isn’t starting these games. Is it tactical… use Noni to stretch teams, then Saka to finish them? Or are the underlying fitness issues still bogging him down?

Jude Bellingham was, once again, the man who stepped up when he was needed. Another two goals for a 23-year-old who is refusing the option of not being that guy. He’s such an all-action type of player… but he has that rare ingredient most of the top central midfielders in the world don’t really have… he likes to put his name on the score sheet. Well, at least at this World Cup. Though it does have to be said, there is this side of him which isn’t great.

Personally, I can’t believe that the English media wait 100 years for a chance like this, against a team like Argentina… and the move is to provoke a crack in the dressing room. We don’t need this being the story of the next 3 days. Focus on what we’re seeing on the pitch and the magnificence of what is at stake. Petty bullshit storylines might be good for clicks, but do we really need this sort of carry-on? Have we learned nothing? Why are we already teeing up who is the fall guy if it goes wrong?

England rode their luck with some woodwork rattling, some favourable ref decisions, and a night where the worst of Pickford was on full display and he got away with most of it. In the end, the difference between the teams was a reserve keeper for Sevilla. Rogers smashed a shot from 30 yards out, Nyland spilled it, and Bellingham was sharpest to the ball.

I don’t know if I was just watching the game through an Arsenal lens, but I thought Harry Kane looked like an older striker. He seemed to struggle. I don’t know whether it was the heat, the back-to-back nature of the games, or just that he is actually not 27 these days… but it wasn’t his finest appearance. He only won 27% of his ground duels. Two shots on target is fine. I just didn’t feel the immensity of Harry like we normally do.

Still, what is it all about? Wins. They aren’t all going to be pretty. Tuchel wasn’t happy after.

"We made life very, very difficult for ourselves today. I'm not happy with the performance. In every sense. We were lucky."

I do love seeing him on the touchline. What a manager. All these top guys are a little on the spectrum. Watching him remonstrate with the players like a crazy man is very funny. Imagine having a boss like that in accounting? It’d be better let me tell you, way better.

‘This v-lookup is not where we need to be. You must picture yourself in it. Now BREATHE. Get out there and WIN FOR THE MOTHERLAND.’

Sensational. I’m gonna make a real nice spreadsheet later imagining my boss is Tuchel.

Broader point is that Thomas Tuchel should be provoking players to better performances. We haven’t won a World Cup since 1966. I want my manager pushing the players to the limit and beyond. No one needs to be besties. Just get the job done. Become legends. Move on.

Sadly, one of my bosses is, in fact, Argentinian. This week will be spicy, no doubt. Their game against the Swiss in Kansas City was… not the most spectacular. It was also split by another favorable decision for them that slanted the game hard in the direction of MESSI IN THE FINAL PLEASE. Embolo dived to earn a free kick, the Argentinian assailant was booked. The VAR overlords called it a foul, so the yellow card was basically transferred and the striker was sent off.

Kind of tragic.

Yes, he dived. But he didn’t dive to win a penalty or to get sent off. He kind of dived to absorb the challenge. Cheating? Of course. The worst kind? Not really. Just overturn the free kick. But destroy the make-up of a quarter final? Not for me boss. I don’t like it. You should be doing all you can in big games to ensure it’s 11 vs 11. If someone is out raking ankles, fine. But killing a big game like that over something so silly? It’s just not additive. I’d agree even if it went the other way.

What I do like is that the purpose of the rule is to address cheating in game and give refs a little bit of ammo to relitigate. I’d like that in the Premier League. Interesting that Michael Oliver is having a largely issue-free World Cup over here. Wonder what joys PGMOL have for us next season? Hope they’re watching some of the genuine innovations to the betterment of the game. Chances are, they are not paying attention, and it’ll be more of the same next season.

Back to the Argentina game… the game was split by a moment of magic from Julián Álvarez. He cut in from the left, spotted the top corner open, and unleashed a shot of World Cup perfection… beating Kobel with ease. It was a big game moment from a player who has a habit of being in the mixer in those sorts of moments.

Miguel Delaney is reporting that the Arsenal deal for Álvarez might be a little easier when the World Cup is done. There are fewer teams involved, Arsenal have played their cards right, and the club are pushing to have the deal done before pre-season proper starts. Would be nice. Club going for a £90m fee which seems a little more in keeping with reality.

Ok, this… THIS is the week things start to get exciting with transfers. Right?

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I’m kind of in that delirium between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. The World Cup has me all out of kilter with timings. Why are teams playing pre-season friendlies? What is an Arsenal. Am I ok?

Maybe not…

I could swear I just watched Mikel Merino score ANOTHER winner in Spain's quarter-final against Belgium. His second winner in a week. The first player EVER to score two winners in a World Cup knockout. Gotta say, I found that stat a bit odd. Really? No one else in 100 odd years has done that?

Incredible really. The most amazing thing about Mikel Merino is the whole ‘yeah, I’ll be a striker’ thing is all a bit of a laugh for him. He just raised his hand one day to do the job and he’s f*cking amazing at it. He only scored 20 goals in 15,329 minutes when he was in La Liga. Now he’s a machine. 12 goals in 49 for Spain. What a king. I’m so happy for him. Hopefully this fitness he’s getting with Spain will carry through to a good Premier League season for him.

Jeremy Monga signed for Man City, they dropped a signing photo of him. Rumor has it that he landed a £ 70k-a-week contract. Crazy money. They really wanted him. We had a budget. If he works out for City, good for them. Arsenal live in the real world, unfortunate as that may be.

There’s only one hot rumour at the moment and it’s Christos Tzolis to Arsenal for £35m.

This is what we want to see at Arsenal, every damn week. He’s a Champions League player, Belgium exports top talent, he is very fast… can he do it over here? Maybe. If he’s a back-up to a Barcola-like figure, then it’s a risk worth taking, especially given the money that needs to be spent elsewhere. The strategy is clear… who has the most output that won’t cost £100m+? Tzolis. Get him.

It is increasingly looking like the only serious new players we’ll have for the start of pre-season is… ‘like a new player’ with all the injured guys coming back ready to roll. Not sure I’m into that, I prefer teams to do business early, but the market isn’t allowing that right now so I guess we’ll just wait.

England have a MONSTER game against Norway. It’s the individual talent of Haaland and Odegaard vs a monstrous England team. It’s going to be a feast of a game. England has quite a bland defence this World Cup, but, so does Norway. Can the spirit of a tiny nation carry them to the dizzying heights of a semi… or will the long arm of reality drag them onto a plane back home?

No player has had more brand growth than Haaland. Everyone has fallen in love with him, including me. He’s taking the baton from Messi and Ronaldo along with Mbappé. But… Haaland is more fun as a player. He seems a very simple person who works hard, loves his friends and family, and wants to enjoy every day, recognizing his incredible privilege in the game. Give me Haaland over the dreariness of Ronaldo talking about himself in the third person.

Martin Odegaard has maybe made me check my privilege of watching him. I think he’s won a lot of non-believers over with some dogged performances over the past 4 weeks. His pressing makes Norway a nightmare and his ability to move the ball up the pitch has been a real win for his nation. Can he take this form back to Arsenal? Are we going to see a clean season of football from him? We need him back to his best. Playing without pain, focused on getting us to the promised land of winning the Champions League.

But… I will have to go back to irrationally hating them both in about 4 hours’ time. That is the game. Cute that he has cowboy boots, but that won’t stop me throwing a cup of beer at the screen in the bar I’ll be watching the game in. Me, one other fan. Going to be magnifico. What could I shout? They don’t even have slander for Norwegians.

‘Your sovereign wealth fund is overrated!’

What is not magnifico is listening to Tuchel guffaw over how resilient Declan is.

‘Oh yes, he is literally dying in there. We keep him on a drip. He’s juice cleansing with horse placenta. What a guy. Literally ruining himself for a World Cup.’

I’m over it. The cost of these sacrifices are going to be BIG next season and I am really worried we’re going to see a 5% dip because players like Saliba, Saka, and Rice are going to need to be rehabbed out of playing in pain. You just can’t replace them in our team. Maybe Bruno for Declan? But 25 games of Madueke to start the year? Mosquera for Saliba? I can’t… I just can’t.

Actually, check out these Bruno numbers.

Still, I’ll put all that sh*te to one side… because for now, I need to see the Arsenal players put in a shift so the world has to watch them get knighted. Going to be a fabulous game. COME ON ENGLAND.

Then it’s Argentina vs Switzerland. Hard to imagine the semi-finals don’t have a Messi in them, but we’ve seen crazier things this World Cup.

Ok, that’s me done, get yourself in the comments for the BIG quarter final ties, and let’s hope Berta gets off the grill and onto the phone. Need my fix of transfers!

Last weekend of the MURICA 250 deal. Get signed up. Feel like a king. Be armed with data so dangerous, they call me the first Sporting Director Blogger. Be part of something magical my friends. Join the party now! x

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Here’s what’s inside:

🔥 Hottest of Takes — Johnny hasn’t moved off wanting a superstar this window and explains exactly why Barcola qualifies. Pete goes after Spain’s style of play and has strong feelings about not wanting Moreno cooked before August

🇧🇪 Belgium vs Spain — Live Reaction — Trossard’s spirit is in the building. Pete and Johnny go through the quarter-final in real time, ask whether this Spanish team is a team for the ages, and explain exactly why they’re hoping Belgium do them a favour for entirely selfish reasons

💸 The Barcola Question Won’t Go Away — PSG signed Diamnde and that changes the picture. Pete and Johnny work out whether Barcola is now more or less likely to leave, what he’d bring that Tzolis doesn’t, and why one of them would take him over anyone else in this window

🧤 Melier — Pete Is Not Happy — third choice at Leeds. Now potentially Arsenal’s backup goalkeeper. Pete delivers a verdict that does not hold back. Johnny talks him down. Slightly. The Raya appreciation at the end is genuinely wholesome

📊 The Take Equity Conversation — Johnny defends his worst takes of the season, explains why he won the predictions pod, and makes a case for honest punditry that is actually quite compelling

Members only — thank you for being part of the AOP family. Pray for Declan’s hamstring. Ciao for now 🔴

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What is going on my dearest internet friends? Arsenal are cooking. Kind of. I mean, really, we’re just going to the fridge, picking up half an old donut, and saying… yeah, I’m only eating this donut because I have two better choices.

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Here’s what’s inside:

🔥 Hottest of Takes — Jacob makes the case that Bruno Guimaraes could be the best player to change clubs anywhere in the Premier League this summer. Pete pulls up the data comparison between Bruno and Zubimendi and the gap is bigger than you’d think — but the roles they play are very different

💪 Bruno — Evil Ben White — the shithousery, the discipline record that somehow stays clean, the passing percentiles. Pete and Jacob work out exactly how he fits alongside Rice and why this doesn’t mean anyone gets dropped, it means nobody gets broken

🇬🇷 Christos Tzolis — The Greek God Of Production — a BBC journalist drops the numbers and Pete and Jacob go through them live. The stats are genuinely obscene. Is this season’s Marquinhos or is it this season’s Fabio Vieira? Jacob makes the Doku comparison and it lands

🤔 Morgan Rogers Still In The Frame — it’s looking like a left side double-up. Pete explains why at £35 million, if Tzolis gives you even Trossard-level output, it might be one of the signings of the decade

⚡ World Cup Quarter-Finals Incoming — it might be coming home. Jacob is trying not to think about it too hard. Pete is not trying at all

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Here’s what’s inside:

🔥 Hottest of Takes — Jacob makes the case that Leandro Trossard might be the best attacking signing Arsenal have made in fifteen years — and the market right now has him …

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Here’s what’s inside:

🔥 Hottest of Takes — Jacob goes political on the biggest sporting event in the world, and the take lands harder than you’d expect. Johnny goes after a player everyone is treating like…

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My deep suspicions about this Illan Meslier move were kind of semi-confirmed yesterday by the Arsenal friendly journalists. The story they all have is, yes, as it stands, he’s Arsenal’s number three… but the sting in the tail is that if Kepa leaves, then he would be the number 2. Kepa has interest from Spain. He can leave for a pittance. It’s going to happen.

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