I have a question about subscription to your Patreon channel. I’m a subscriber of that Patreon channel but I’m a bit confused about the subscription offered on Substack. You say that you can access THE ARSENAL OPINION podcast (Live + ad free + bonus content) with a Substack subscription. Does that mean I should cancel my Patreon subscription and take up a Substack one instead. There’s no way I want to be paying twice for the same video content. Could you please clear up any confusion about these two subscription services.
Chelsea are in shambles. Although he underperformed, he finished the season strong. And these young players needed stability. This is the 3rd manager Chelsea have sacked in 2 years. Their owners aren't learning anything. Unless they get an unbelievable young manager now, they will be stuck in mediocrity for a while. They have good players though. Just won't work out with hiring and firing with young players.
When are you going to get off this Jesus infatuation?
His proneness to injuries aside, he's not a #9
Then you consider that he's joint highest earner at the club [with Haverts}, so why are you happy for us to have to back-up earning so much money, backing up another makeshift #9?
I would think the pain of us coming second to city twice would shake you out of this fixation on Jesus but you're too far gone now.
He's not good enough, that's the reason city sold him to us.
These are his stats 13 G/A in 17 starts upfront. He also scored 11 league goals in half a season the season before. He has never been a prolific Striker. I have never argued that. But I doubt any strikers have better overall game and can get the best out of their teammates.
As I said, I would sell because of his injuries and lack of availability, not because of lack of quality. Sesko, Brobbery or whatever new young kid in the market aren't better than him at the moment. If we can get a Benzema, a Suarez I am all for selling.
But these strikers aren't better. But we will be selling him to have players with better availability not better quality. All these players are projects.
This summer we need to go for astute signings. Ready to go players and no more project players or rehab players (experimenting with Haverts and bringing his confidence up cost of half the season and eventually the league)
Secondly, we need to ditch this community scoring pattern we have. The false 9 style of play. Looks good in the eyes but only City have won with it in the PL and in a season where others were so off pace. It doesn't work except by luck/accident. We need a clutch scorer. They are the ones that win titles (Auba in fa cup for example). We scored 91 goals in a season but didn't win the league. A clutch striker could have been the difference against Fulham, Westhampton and Villa.
Thirdly, Trossard has to play next season as first choice. He's ready and loaded with output to booth. If we have to sign a left winger then it has to be someone better in output than Tross. He's soo ahead of Marti in every way it's not even funny.
Players to sign: Paqueta or Bruno Guimares. Ready to go and brilliant players. Plugs all the holes in our midfield. I'm rooting for Bruno cos he's an excellent 6 and 8 while Paq can only play 8.
Osimhen or Haverts (as centre forward, not false 9 or left 8). Victor assures you goals. And he could still improve in a stable environment with better players than he works with currently. Haverts have been impressive as 9 and I'm willing to see if his form is sustainable there. We need to have strikers that play as a presence in the box and retain a lot of goal scoring fear in the opponents minds.
Sign these players and plug squad holes we will win the league because of or despite Arteta next season
Trossard has contributed a lot in the 18 months he’s been with us but is he good enough to be in our ‘1st 11’. Excellent squad player but I prefer an on form Martinelli.
We saw a white unicorn more regularly last season than an onform Martinelli Bob. I love him but I doubt if he can kick on. Be happy to eat humble pie but on form and ability, it's Tross all season.
Trossard lacks pace, but he rermains the top dog at that position until he is ousted. His being the most clinical finisher at the club right now guarantees him a starting spot. I don't buy the view [by some on this forum] of him being brought to the team as/should be a squad player. Right now, he is on form and Martinelli isn't. End of.
A 100 mil for Osihmen? Nah. No Striker is worth their value in this market. May be Isak. But that is just about it.
Even Sesko has a £60 mil release clause apparently. The Striker market is dead. That is why you see so many top clubs going for potential and it isn't enough. Hoijlund, Ramos, Kolo Muani all moved for huge prices last summer and none have proved they were worth the outlay. Jackson has been value for money in comparison. So expecting a player to solve all our goal scoring problems in this market is naive. Better to sign another goal scoring winger to share the load.
It's not just that I expect a player to solve all our goal scoring issues. We don't have many issues on that front. But in crunch times, we lack a player with that killer instinct. It could be Osimhen, it could be Isak. I rate both players. If haverts can be trained to be that and retain a presence in the box, then awesome.
Also open to getting a scoring winger like Salah but they are also scarce.
I wouldn't go for Sesko unless we are absolutely convinced he is the 9 of our future. Havertz's whoscored rating playing upfront is 7.58. Although it is a small sample size, that is amongst the best in Europe. He has 10 goals and 6 assists in 19 apps upfront. He looks half the player in midfield.
Keep Havertz upfront, Jesus as his backup and rotation and then bring in an elite talent on the wing like Olise who can help us score more from wide.
Sesko as Havertz's backup and Jesus as Saka's backup will not be enough in my opinion. But if we can sell Jesus (because of his injuries, not lack of quality) and bring in a Sesko along with an Olise, we will have done well.
I think Kai will be starting striker next season, Sesko will be our number two, Nketiah will be sold, and Jesus will be sold as well or shifted out wide right.
I'm sorry to say Hab but Jesus doesn't have much quality. He flatters to deceive. Needs to be sold because he's not good enough. 240k PW can't be sat on the bench when we lambast city for infinite wagebill
Everyone can have their opinions, but saying Jesus isn't good enough to be a backup is not great. He has won us games individually this past season. Sevilla away, Luton away, Forest away off the top of my head.
The only reason, I would sell isn't because of lack of quality, but availability and the knee injury he sustained. He isn't prolific but he is absolute quality. The games he struggled in have been because mikel tried to fit him and Havertz in the same team in games.
People who expect these young strikers to come in and be our solution haven't been paying attention to Europe's Striker market. None of them are better than Jesus. Not Sesko, not Brobbery, not Ferguson. Paying 200k a week isn't the worst thing if we have a quality player to come off the bench like him. Paying £60 mil for a young Striker who isn't better for next season and will need time is just as costly for me.
The Athletic, the inside story of arsenals season -
"The pursuit of David Raya was controversial — externally and internally. While nobody had any doubts about Raya’s quality, there was significant debate within Arsenal about allocating more resource to the goalkeeping department, especially in the wake of awarding Aaron Ramsdale a new contract just a few months earlier.
Arteta’s assistant, Steve Round, was one of those who argued against signing Raya. He felt displacing Ramsdale — popular among players and staff — could disrupt Arsenal’s carefully cultivated culture."
That Villa game clearly was the moment. It’s odd when you reflect on that and here’s one for you had Villa lost to Chelsea at SB in September a game like Chelsea should have won (just like Arsenal really should have ) then Chelsea would have qualified for next seasons CL.
Kpankulu gets it, it was the Villa game in the run in.
Arteta knows it too, that’s why he brought it up immediately when asked what was the difference in coming up short this season.
He stretched the truth of course saying Arsenal should’ve been up 4 nil by halftime ignoring Watkins hitting the post. Not that we created 4 clear scoring chances outside of Trossard’s missed tap in mind you.
You can rage about City’s 115 charges all you want but it’s the mentality in the run in we need to improve more than talent level.
Funny how the same people who said not to worry about the dropped points to Villa because there would still be plenty of twists and turns in the title fight are now the loudest voices demanding City punishment.
It's sad Arsenal have twice gifted the league title to City in two successive seasons. Will Arsenal ever change! Hopefully.
Lessons learned should be enough for the Gunners:
1. You can't win the EPL without a top class number 9.
2. With Man C in EPL, you need 90+ points to win the title
3. You must show character from season start season ending.
4. Arsenal are too soft and don't Bite when they have to bite.
5. Nobody does it for you. Work to do it all alone.
Every Arsenal fan knows that failure to buy a natural goal scorer last summer would cost Arsenal the title this season. And it did. Most fans had even wanted a striker in January but Edu and Arteta thought otherwise. Even if it's going to cost 120m pounds Arsenal must get a world class striker in the summer.
The fact that you garner 89 points, present the best defense and second to none in terms of number of games won and still you don't win the league tells you something is missing: character or mentality. You don't choose to lose to Village at home on a weekend the top contenders dropped points, in just 5 games or so remaining.
There's also the aspect of failing to bite when the opposition is begging you to bite. The case of Man City game at Etihad where everybody including Guardiola expected Arsenal to win. Arsenal were satisfied with a draw when it was obvious to all they could beat City on their backyard. Similar thing happened when they won 1-0 at Old Trafford. Arsenal could have scored a hartful of goals but they were shy to go for more after the first. Thank God United couldn't just get one.
Arsenal must learn to take it when it's there for the taking. Under Arteta, twice Arsenal have squandered golden opportunities and twice they've painfully watched Man City take the title when it was there for them to take it, unlike Arsenal.
Just do your own and never expect any other team to help you get to the fi ish. You need an undying passion, desire and hunger to win the league, you don't wait on any opponent to do it for you against another opponent. The person to do it for it could be your most avowed enemy just like Arsenal started dreaming Spurs could do it for them against City.
Hi Pedro
I have a question about subscription to your Patreon channel. I’m a subscriber of that Patreon channel but I’m a bit confused about the subscription offered on Substack. You say that you can access THE ARSENAL OPINION podcast (Live + ad free + bonus content) with a Substack subscription. Does that mean I should cancel my Patreon subscription and take up a Substack one instead. There’s no way I want to be paying twice for the same video content. Could you please clear up any confusion about these two subscription services.
Regards,
Mark
De Zerbi is favorite for the Chelsea Job
Nwaneri just curled in a beauty.
Gooner on twitter -
"Ethan Nwaneri starts for England U17 as they take on France in their opening match of the U17 European Championships!"
Poch leaves Chelsea.
Chelsea are in shambles. Although he underperformed, he finished the season strong. And these young players needed stability. This is the 3rd manager Chelsea have sacked in 2 years. Their owners aren't learning anything. Unless they get an unbelievable young manager now, they will be stuck in mediocrity for a while. They have good players though. Just won't work out with hiring and firing with young players.
Unless they have to sell players that’s surprising.
Just when it looked like it was beginning to click for them
Nigel
"You need to move on. It's time for analyzing the future, and saying great job to the lads."
How are you going to plan for the future when you're not willing to learn from the past?
You think the people at Arsenal are willing to stick their head into the sand like you're asking?
You can analyse the past and still thank the manager, players and club organization.
Habesha
When are you going to get off this Jesus infatuation?
His proneness to injuries aside, he's not a #9
Then you consider that he's joint highest earner at the club [with Haverts}, so why are you happy for us to have to back-up earning so much money, backing up another makeshift #9?
I would think the pain of us coming second to city twice would shake you out of this fixation on Jesus but you're too far gone now.
He's not good enough, that's the reason city sold him to us.
That is your opinion. Name better strikers, that will elevate us.
https://www.whoscored.com/Players/279379/Show/Gabriel-Jesus
https://fbref.com/en/players/b66315ae/scout/365_m1/Gabriel-Jesus-Scouting-Report
These are his stats 13 G/A in 17 starts upfront. He also scored 11 league goals in half a season the season before. He has never been a prolific Striker. I have never argued that. But I doubt any strikers have better overall game and can get the best out of their teammates.
As I said, I would sell because of his injuries and lack of availability, not because of lack of quality. Sesko, Brobbery or whatever new young kid in the market aren't better than him at the moment. If we can get a Benzema, a Suarez I am all for selling.
But these strikers aren't better. But we will be selling him to have players with better availability not better quality. All these players are projects.
Anyone see pep nearly cry when he heard klopp’s kind words for him over his 4th title
Seems like a top bloke pep
You can’t not like the guy
This summer we need to go for astute signings. Ready to go players and no more project players or rehab players (experimenting with Haverts and bringing his confidence up cost of half the season and eventually the league)
Secondly, we need to ditch this community scoring pattern we have. The false 9 style of play. Looks good in the eyes but only City have won with it in the PL and in a season where others were so off pace. It doesn't work except by luck/accident. We need a clutch scorer. They are the ones that win titles (Auba in fa cup for example). We scored 91 goals in a season but didn't win the league. A clutch striker could have been the difference against Fulham, Westhampton and Villa.
Thirdly, Trossard has to play next season as first choice. He's ready and loaded with output to booth. If we have to sign a left winger then it has to be someone better in output than Tross. He's soo ahead of Marti in every way it's not even funny.
Players to sign: Paqueta or Bruno Guimares. Ready to go and brilliant players. Plugs all the holes in our midfield. I'm rooting for Bruno cos he's an excellent 6 and 8 while Paq can only play 8.
Osimhen or Haverts (as centre forward, not false 9 or left 8). Victor assures you goals. And he could still improve in a stable environment with better players than he works with currently. Haverts have been impressive as 9 and I'm willing to see if his form is sustainable there. We need to have strikers that play as a presence in the box and retain a lot of goal scoring fear in the opponents minds.
Sign these players and plug squad holes we will win the league because of or despite Arteta next season
Trossard has contributed a lot in the 18 months he’s been with us but is he good enough to be in our ‘1st 11’. Excellent squad player but I prefer an on form Martinelli.
We saw a white unicorn more regularly last season than an onform Martinelli Bob. I love him but I doubt if he can kick on. Be happy to eat humble pie but on form and ability, it's Tross all season.
I don’t think Trossard threatens the RB enough. He shoots a lot and scores plenty but lacks pace.
Trossard lacks pace, but he rermains the top dog at that position until he is ousted. His being the most clinical finisher at the club right now guarantees him a starting spot. I don't buy the view [by some on this forum] of him being brought to the team as/should be a squad player. Right now, he is on form and Martinelli isn't. End of.
A 100 mil for Osihmen? Nah. No Striker is worth their value in this market. May be Isak. But that is just about it.
Even Sesko has a £60 mil release clause apparently. The Striker market is dead. That is why you see so many top clubs going for potential and it isn't enough. Hoijlund, Ramos, Kolo Muani all moved for huge prices last summer and none have proved they were worth the outlay. Jackson has been value for money in comparison. So expecting a player to solve all our goal scoring problems in this market is naive. Better to sign another goal scoring winger to share the load.
It's not just that I expect a player to solve all our goal scoring issues. We don't have many issues on that front. But in crunch times, we lack a player with that killer instinct. It could be Osimhen, it could be Isak. I rate both players. If haverts can be trained to be that and retain a presence in the box, then awesome.
Also open to getting a scoring winger like Salah but they are also scarce.
I wouldn't go for Sesko unless we are absolutely convinced he is the 9 of our future. Havertz's whoscored rating playing upfront is 7.58. Although it is a small sample size, that is amongst the best in Europe. He has 10 goals and 6 assists in 19 apps upfront. He looks half the player in midfield.
Keep Havertz upfront, Jesus as his backup and rotation and then bring in an elite talent on the wing like Olise who can help us score more from wide.
Sesko as Havertz's backup and Jesus as Saka's backup will not be enough in my opinion. But if we can sell Jesus (because of his injuries, not lack of quality) and bring in a Sesko along with an Olise, we will have done well.
I think Kai will be starting striker next season, Sesko will be our number two, Nketiah will be sold, and Jesus will be sold as well or shifted out wide right.
I'm sorry to say Hab but Jesus doesn't have much quality. He flatters to deceive. Needs to be sold because he's not good enough. 240k PW can't be sat on the bench when we lambast city for infinite wagebill
Everyone can have their opinions, but saying Jesus isn't good enough to be a backup is not great. He has won us games individually this past season. Sevilla away, Luton away, Forest away off the top of my head.
The only reason, I would sell isn't because of lack of quality, but availability and the knee injury he sustained. He isn't prolific but he is absolute quality. The games he struggled in have been because mikel tried to fit him and Havertz in the same team in games.
People who expect these young strikers to come in and be our solution haven't been paying attention to Europe's Striker market. None of them are better than Jesus. Not Sesko, not Brobbery, not Ferguson. Paying 200k a week isn't the worst thing if we have a quality player to come off the bench like him. Paying £60 mil for a young Striker who isn't better for next season and will need time is just as costly for me.
You cannot win any league by being 6th in open play goals
Wow Sid. Arteta needs to get you on the coaching staff.
What Arteta needs is less fanboys and people willing to be honest with him however upsetting it may be.
Yeah, he’s doing such a shit job!
I wouldnt describe 6th best at open play goals as a shit job, thats dramatic and irrational
Hilarious Sid!
The Athletic, the inside story of arsenals season -
"The pursuit of David Raya was controversial — externally and internally. While nobody had any doubts about Raya’s quality, there was significant debate within Arsenal about allocating more resource to the goalkeeping department, especially in the wake of awarding Aaron Ramsdale a new contract just a few months earlier.
Arteta’s assistant, Steve Round, was one of those who argued against signing Raya. He felt displacing Ramsdale — popular among players and staff — could disrupt Arsenal’s carefully cultivated culture."
https://archive.ph/JPJdF
Time to weigh in on this debate, did Ødegaard mean it or not?
https://x.com/dacodac/status/1792674345023840483
I’m leaning significantly towards more luck than judgement.
But I wouldn’t 100% rule it out..
A slice of good fortune on this one.
Nothing wrong with it.
That Villa game clearly was the moment. It’s odd when you reflect on that and here’s one for you had Villa lost to Chelsea at SB in September a game like Chelsea should have won (just like Arsenal really should have ) then Chelsea would have qualified for next seasons CL.
Kpankulu gets it, it was the Villa game in the run in.
Arteta knows it too, that’s why he brought it up immediately when asked what was the difference in coming up short this season.
He stretched the truth of course saying Arsenal should’ve been up 4 nil by halftime ignoring Watkins hitting the post. Not that we created 4 clear scoring chances outside of Trossard’s missed tap in mind you.
You can rage about City’s 115 charges all you want but it’s the mentality in the run in we need to improve more than talent level.
Funny how the same people who said not to worry about the dropped points to Villa because there would still be plenty of twists and turns in the title fight are now the loudest voices demanding City punishment.
It's sad Arsenal have twice gifted the league title to City in two successive seasons. Will Arsenal ever change! Hopefully.
Lessons learned should be enough for the Gunners:
1. You can't win the EPL without a top class number 9.
2. With Man C in EPL, you need 90+ points to win the title
3. You must show character from season start season ending.
4. Arsenal are too soft and don't Bite when they have to bite.
5. Nobody does it for you. Work to do it all alone.
Every Arsenal fan knows that failure to buy a natural goal scorer last summer would cost Arsenal the title this season. And it did. Most fans had even wanted a striker in January but Edu and Arteta thought otherwise. Even if it's going to cost 120m pounds Arsenal must get a world class striker in the summer.
The fact that you garner 89 points, present the best defense and second to none in terms of number of games won and still you don't win the league tells you something is missing: character or mentality. You don't choose to lose to Village at home on a weekend the top contenders dropped points, in just 5 games or so remaining.
There's also the aspect of failing to bite when the opposition is begging you to bite. The case of Man City game at Etihad where everybody including Guardiola expected Arsenal to win. Arsenal were satisfied with a draw when it was obvious to all they could beat City on their backyard. Similar thing happened when they won 1-0 at Old Trafford. Arsenal could have scored a hartful of goals but they were shy to go for more after the first. Thank God United couldn't just get one.
Arsenal must learn to take it when it's there for the taking. Under Arteta, twice Arsenal have squandered golden opportunities and twice they've painfully watched Man City take the title when it was there for them to take it, unlike Arsenal.
Just do your own and never expect any other team to help you get to the fi ish. You need an undying passion, desire and hunger to win the league, you don't wait on any opponent to do it for you against another opponent. The person to do it for it could be your most avowed enemy just like Arsenal started dreaming Spurs could do it for them against City.
Enough is enough.
But all those other leagues are walkovers in compassion to ours
Yes
The only teams who walk their leagues
If the rest of the prem participated in those leagues thy would finish above their counterparts