Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly have been promoted this season from Arsenal U21 and 18 squads
and have demonstrated that they have the potential to do well in the first team squad. By start of next season they should have enough experience to play more regularly.
Lewis- Skelly is a DMF by background but has played recently at LB and Nwaneri is an AMF
but can also play RW and is perhaps in the foreseeable future a good understudy for Saka.
This brings me to "promotion" policy for Academy players. There needs to be a clear pathway.
In the last 2 seasons we have lost Hutchinson, Duberry and Obi-Martin who did not believe that they had a future at club.
Now there is a suggestion that Hayden Heaven another talented player in U21s could leave with many leading clubs in Europe chasing his signature. So the question is why we cannot
offer him the fourth CB slot in first team squad next season especially if as being suggested
Kiwior leaves. White, Timber and Calafiori have CB experience if needed.
Another major talent at the club is Dowman who has just turned 15. He is by all accounts one
of the most exceptional talents in English football in recent years. What will be his pathway?
"27 of December, we win 1:0 at home, Kai Havertz scores the goal and the whole stadium after that is singing the Waka Waka song. That's 20 days ago. Guys, what is the perspective?"
It keeps going for a 1 minute and 30 seconds. Really strong words and absolutely spot on. That level of hate shouldn't be allowed and something has to be done.
Arteta also said that Calafiori could return for the North London Derby on Wednesday night.
Celebrities, and wives of celebrities, should not be doing their own social media because they are going to attract all the angry cranks and there no way to fix it.
There is actually. Trace their IPs and punish the "anonymous" haters. They are only acting the way they are cause they are aware there will be no repercussions. What if there are laws set against what they're doing? It's that easy.
NordVPN, Surfshark and Surfshark? For a proper specialist, who will be hired, VPNs are nothing.
I'd also be quite happy to have my ID card + face scanned when accessing the account or when creating a new account on a social media like X, Facebook, Instagram etc.
I am glad they made the decision not to extend Partey's contract too. Quality has never been the issue with him. On his day he looks like the best #6 in world football.
But the injuries, the high wages, the fact that he will be 32 in the summer and the fact that we saw some signs that he was being run off in the first few months of this season and finally the off field issues that has fans from other clubs booing him when this stupid news rears it's head, meant we shouldn't have risked it. This is the correct decision.
The only problem for me is watching Kvara move in this window for €70m when we are spending on Zubimendi that much. Could we have not waited till the summer? The only saving grace has to be if we spend money on a forward in this Jan.
Oh I know we aren't paying for it now and I like the profile of the player in question but we still don't have an "8" to replace Xhaka and it's been 2 years and we need up to 3 new attacking players if we're serious but guess we'll see, if there's one thing Arsenal are good at it's leaving huge gaps in the squad we come to regret later
Yeah. My hope is, they are going to bring in another creative midfielder/RW type of player on top of a LW and a CF, to allow us to play 2 CAMs with one of Rice/Zubimendi at the base at times.
If we bring in a Brahim Diaz or a Lee Kang in for example,
You can play 2 of Nwaneri, Odegaard and Lee/Brahim in front of Rice or Zubimendi. Merino is the Xhaka replacement I guess. Not as a starter though.
It's an unusual thing. I can't remember if I've ever read something like that before.
A player, with a release clause, agreeing to join another club in 6 months time, and everything is already agreed upon and basically all but official and out in the media space. It's weird.
I don't think he's even allowed to talk to other clubs as he's contracted until 2027. Unless Sociedad has allowed him, which is probably what has happened and that was the original deal cause they didn't want to lose both Merino and Zubimendi in one transfer window.
If someone else can trigger it too? Sure. All we've got is a gentlemen's agreement. Depends how much you trust that.
But from my logic, all three Zubimendi, Sociedad and Arsenal have given their blessing on what's supposed to happen in the summer. By all accounts, it will happen.
I have no issue if we are recruiting Zubimendi a high class DMF for next season. The presumption is that both Partey and Jorginho who are in their 30s will leave at end of their contracts this summer.
However, any additional recruitment either this month or in summer must now focus on our
attack and in particular the Centre Forward [Striker] Position..
It has been crystal clear for two seasons that we have been weak in that position and it is
bluntly our achilles heel.
The lack of a clinical finisher is our weakness. Havertz as I have stated on many occasions is
not a Centre Forward but he is an excellent and versatile player to have on the books especially since he is not injury prone.
new post
New Post
Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly have been promoted this season from Arsenal U21 and 18 squads
and have demonstrated that they have the potential to do well in the first team squad. By start of next season they should have enough experience to play more regularly.
Lewis- Skelly is a DMF by background but has played recently at LB and Nwaneri is an AMF
but can also play RW and is perhaps in the foreseeable future a good understudy for Saka.
This brings me to "promotion" policy for Academy players. There needs to be a clear pathway.
In the last 2 seasons we have lost Hutchinson, Duberry and Obi-Martin who did not believe that they had a future at club.
Now there is a suggestion that Hayden Heaven another talented player in U21s could leave with many leading clubs in Europe chasing his signature. So the question is why we cannot
offer him the fourth CB slot in first team squad next season especially if as being suggested
Kiwior leaves. White, Timber and Calafiori have CB experience if needed.
Another major talent at the club is Dowman who has just turned 15. He is by all accounts one
of the most exceptional talents in English football in recent years. What will be his pathway?
Jesus is now dead wood
Jesus ACL confirmed on the dot com. There is no reason not to get a longterm CF or a Winger this Jan now.
we need someone asap
Arteta on social media hate (Havertz)
https://x.com/kimmoFC/status/1879113470441849332
"27 of December, we win 1:0 at home, Kai Havertz scores the goal and the whole stadium after that is singing the Waka Waka song. That's 20 days ago. Guys, what is the perspective?"
It keeps going for a 1 minute and 30 seconds. Really strong words and absolutely spot on. That level of hate shouldn't be allowed and something has to be done.
Arteta also said that Calafiori could return for the North London Derby on Wednesday night.
Celebrities, and wives of celebrities, should not be doing their own social media because they are going to attract all the angry cranks and there no way to fix it.
There is actually. Trace their IPs and punish the "anonymous" haters. They are only acting the way they are cause they are aware there will be no repercussions. What if there are laws set against what they're doing? It's that easy.
Free speech laws vary by jurisdiction, and IP addresses can be masked.
It’s not ‘that easy’.
NordVPN, Surfshark and Surfshark? For a proper specialist, who will be hired, VPNs are nothing.
I'd also be quite happy to have my ID card + face scanned when accessing the account or when creating a new account on a social media like X, Facebook, Instagram etc.
That's the issue. It's a delicate thing. Giving enough freedom but not all.
"I hope you have a miscarriage"
and
"I'm gonna come to your house and slaughter your baby I'm not joking just wait"
shouldn't be allowed, that's for sure.
No doubt but not doing anything in this day and age, isn't an option either imo.
Big lol at us trying to collect the whole midfield + attack of Sociedad's 2019/2020.
Zubimendi, Merino, Odegaard.
The front line included Isak and Oyarzabal.
this is mike arteta for you
It is fun to see some Pool fans losing their heads about their own board for failing to land Zubimendi.
But some of our fans trying to banter them are idiots. When the season is done they probably will have a PL title. Where is the awareness.
This means we will never get a proper #8 now
It will be Merino and Ricer masquerading as #8s
The versatility mantra is really bullshite, it's jack of all trades running about every where
It's like letting a handyman build your dream house
What if we get another creative option to play in front of Rice/Zubimendi alongside Odegaard at times?
What if the plan is to have:
Zubimendi/MLS (a tiny chance of Partey/Jorginho staying)
Rice/Merino
Odegaard/Nwaneri
That would mean, we're basically done.
God, I fkin pray Nwaneri makes it biiiig. I'm putting all my hope on a 17 year old. Yes, that's where we're at...
I am glad they made the decision not to extend Partey's contract too. Quality has never been the issue with him. On his day he looks like the best #6 in world football.
But the injuries, the high wages, the fact that he will be 32 in the summer and the fact that we saw some signs that he was being run off in the first few months of this season and finally the off field issues that has fans from other clubs booing him when this stupid news rears it's head, meant we shouldn't have risked it. This is the correct decision.
The only problem for me is watching Kvara move in this window for €70m when we are spending on Zubimendi that much. Could we have not waited till the summer? The only saving grace has to be if we spend money on a forward in this Jan.
Some if not most of our transfer dealings have been all over the place for a while now, some of them deals don'take that much sense
Signing the player totally makes sense. Paying for it now doesn't. Rap explained it is a verbal agreement to trigger it in the summer.
So may be we aren't paying anything now. If that is the case then we need to spend money on forwards now.
Oh I know we aren't paying for it now and I like the profile of the player in question but we still don't have an "8" to replace Xhaka and it's been 2 years and we need up to 3 new attacking players if we're serious but guess we'll see, if there's one thing Arsenal are good at it's leaving huge gaps in the squad we come to regret later
Yeah. My hope is, they are going to bring in another creative midfielder/RW type of player on top of a LW and a CF, to allow us to play 2 CAMs with one of Rice/Zubimendi at the base at times.
If we bring in a Brahim Diaz or a Lee Kang in for example,
You can play 2 of Nwaneri, Odegaard and Lee/Brahim in front of Rice or Zubimendi. Merino is the Xhaka replacement I guess. Not as a starter though.
"when we are spending on Zubimendi that much. Could we have not waited till the summer?"
We are waiting till the summer.
We're just getting a verbal agreement that it will get done in the summer without signing anything.
We're not paying a dime right now. We'll trigger the release clause of £51m in the summer and pay them the whole fee immediately, in one go.
From my understanding that is.
If that is the case then fair enough. But doesn't that mean it is open to someone else triggering it too?
It's an unusual thing. I can't remember if I've ever read something like that before.
A player, with a release clause, agreeing to join another club in 6 months time, and everything is already agreed upon and basically all but official and out in the media space. It's weird.
I don't think he's even allowed to talk to other clubs as he's contracted until 2027. Unless Sociedad has allowed him, which is probably what has happened and that was the original deal cause they didn't want to lose both Merino and Zubimendi in one transfer window.
If someone else can trigger it too? Sure. All we've got is a gentlemen's agreement. Depends how much you trust that.
But from my logic, all three Zubimendi, Sociedad and Arsenal have given their blessing on what's supposed to happen in the summer. By all accounts, it will happen.
Facts.
Thought i'd poke my head into the 'moan zone'...... yup just as I thought........
I do love you guys though.
We'll have to add a 30 goal per season striker + a LW that can both create and score.
We know our long term interest in Sesko and Nico Williams.
Even if we manage to get our top choices, if just one of them fails to live up to the expectations, we'll be in big trouble.
We'll be overly reliant on Saka again.
Cause you can't expect much of the burden to be carried offensively by the 3 players behind them - Zubi, Rice and Ode.
Arteta has been preoccupied with Zubimendi forever
Transfer committees don't work like that, they have check lists and go through option"a" to whatever but they buy a player to meet a squad need.
They reason why we are so inflexible and obsessive about our transfers is because the process is far too Arteta-centric.
This summer, hell will freeze over if we don't go back for Niko Williams and Sesko.
You can make peace with the Merino transfer when you contextualize him as the expensive replacement of Elneny
5x the transfer fee
3x the wages
He's a very expensively acquired warm body
I have no issue if we are recruiting Zubimendi a high class DMF for next season. The presumption is that both Partey and Jorginho who are in their 30s will leave at end of their contracts this summer.
However, any additional recruitment either this month or in summer must now focus on our
attack and in particular the Centre Forward [Striker] Position..
It has been crystal clear for two seasons that we have been weak in that position and it is
bluntly our achilles heel.
The lack of a clinical finisher is our weakness. Havertz as I have stated on many occasions is
not a Centre Forward but he is an excellent and versatile player to have on the books especially since he is not injury prone.
Sociedad were 10th in La liga in open play goals last season.
Zubimendi and Merino in midfield.
Let that sink in!