Post Manchester United there is a noticeable mood of cautious optimism among Arsenal fans as we all digest the significance of victory over the old enemy and their wretched manager. Many now realize there is a feasible route to achieving top-4 if Arsenal can win their next two games and come within one point of Liverpool before the Scousers next game this weekend.
This optimism may explain why some of the most negative nellies in the fanbase now have something positive to say. Out of the blue came a tweet on Sunday disclosing that, unlike the media hype that this was Wenger’s first PL victory over Mourinho, there is the little known fact that the Portuguese has never won a game at the Emirates after 10 years of trying.
To be honest the only “fans’ who remain glum and disappointed about club’s three wins out of four are a handful bloggers and WOBs who have invested heavily in the narrative that this was a disastrous season which should lead to Wenger being relieved of management. As I have repeatedly stressed most of the uber-bloggers, podcasters and tweeters have no interest in facts and unbiased data which conflict with their pet narrative. To the contrary they engage in mental gymnastics to promote sensationalism and fear. Hence for them a disappointing season is due entirely to Wenger. How can a manager with 3 league titles, 6 FA cups and 20 straight years in the top-4 go from hero to zero after one bad year?
Apparently anything justifies a WEXIT, failing that go for a GAXIT or KROXIT.
But readers of PA are not fooled by this simplistic, puerile, febrile analysis by “Arsenal’ bloggers and the football media. For my part I have done the research to demonstrate that the prolonged absence of Santi Cazorla over the past two seasons has correlated with a huge decline in results. Many of you have argued there is more in the mortar than the pestle. So I decided to revisit the data.
It struck me that over the past year there was a significant turnover in the Arsenal midfield. Arteta, Rosicky and Flamini were let go and Jack Wilshere was loaned out. The only new midfielder brought in was Granit Xhaka. How significant is/was this turnover?
The historical data provides the clearest of answers. The turnover in midfield in the summer of 2016 has left the Arsenal midfield the lightest in numbers, the most inexperienced and the least potent in goals in six seasons. The following table provides key data on the state of the Arsenal midfield at the beginning of each of the last six seasons.
| 11/12 | 12/13 | 13/14 | 14/15 | 15/16 | 16/17 | |
| No. | 9 | 9 | 12 | 9 | 11 | 7 |
| Age | 234 | 233 | 322 | 257 | 282 | 182 |
| App | 910 | 983 | 1135 | 1250 | 1424 | 827 |
| Goals | 102 | 118 | 129 | 146 | 156 | 105 |
| Pos | 3rd | 4th | 4th | 3rd | 2nd | ? |
I chose 2011/12 as the base year for this analysis because it marked the end of the Fabregas era and ushered the reign of Mikel Arteta who arrived late in the 2011 transfer window. Just to remind those of short memories, the worst of the Fabregas-Nasri divorce from Arsenal was the 8-2 shellacking at the hands of United at Old Trafford when the club could barely find a decent XI to play, having to rely on rookies such as Francis Coquelin, Armand Traore and Carl Jenkinson and to give the 18 year old Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain a painful debut. The long drawn-out transfer saga of that year led to the infamous last minute “trolley dash” for players such as Arteta, Mertsacker, Andre Santos, Park Chi Sung and Yossi Benayoun.
It is noticeable that both midfielders from the trolley dash were grizzled veterans; Arteta at 30 years-old had already played 162 times for Everton and Benayoun at 32 and had made 170+ appearances for both Liverpool, West Ham and Chelsea. Despite the doom and gloom at the start of the season, they, together with their colleagues steered Arsenal to 3rd in the league. Below is a table giving a flavor of the contribution of all 10 midfielders that year.
| Player | Premier League | |
| Apps | Goals | |
| Abou Diaby | 0+4 | 0 |
| Tomáš Rosický | 19+9 | 1 |
| Mikel Arteta | 29 | 6 |
| Aaron Ramsey | 27+7 | 2 |
| Alex Song | 34+0 | 1 |
| Andrey Arshavin [L] | 8+11 | 1 |
| Emmanuel Frimpong | 3+3 | 0 |
| Yossi Benayoun | 10+9 | 4 |
| Francis Coquelin | 6+4 | 0 |
Note: Players out on loan are excluded
By 2015-16, the midfield had matured into a qualitatively stronger animal with the addition of world-class, experienced technicians such as Santi Cazorla in 2013 and Mesut Ozil in 2014. Pre-season this was a group with 282 years of experience, 1424 appearances and 156 goals between them. Is it any surprise that there was sufficient quality and quantity in midfield to steer the club to 2nd despite losing Santi Cazorla for half the season and slipping from 1st in the table early December 2015.
The reality, however, is that father time and injuries had decimated Arteta, Rosicky, Flamini and Wilshere as evident in the following data on their playing time in 2015-16.
| Name | Premier League | |
| Apps | Goals | |
| Tomáš Rosický | 0 | 0 |
| Mikel Arteta | 0 (9) | 0 |
| Jack Wilshere | 1 (2) | 0 |
| Mesut Özil | 35 | 6 |
| Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain | 9 (13) | 1 |
| Aaron Ramsey | 29 (2) | 5 |
| Santi Cazorla | 15 | 0 |
| Mathieu Flamini | 12 (4) | 0 |
| Francis Coquelin | 21 (5) | 0 |
| Mohamed Elneny | 9 (2) | 0 |
No wonder in the summer of 2016 Wenger and Arsenal decided to part company with the four (4) mentioned above. It should be emphasized these players were critical to stabilizing and revitalizing the club in the post-Fabregas era and winning two FA cups in the process (something Fabregas, Nasri, Van Persie et al were never able to achieve). The reality is, their departure left a massive hole in the Arsenal midfield. The following is their individual and combined contribution to Arsenal up to 2015-16:
| Name | Age | App | Goals |
| Tomáš Rosický | 36 | 245 | 28 |
| Mikel Arteta | 35 | 140 | 16 |
| Jack Wilshere | 25 | 154 | 12 |
| Mathieu Flamini | 33 | 222 | 11 |
| Total | 104 | 761 | 67 |
Compared to the current midfield, the four represented 57% more years experience, 92% more appearances and 63% more goals. Granted, except for Flamini, none of them made a contribution to the 2015-16 campaign but in any football club that is a significant loss of experience.
To fill the breach, the sole midfield signing was 24 year-old Granit Xhaka. This is a player with six years experience in top clubs in Switzerland and Germany (FC Basel and Borussia Moechen Gladbach) with 136 total club appearances and 8 goals, but hardly a patch on the experience of Rosicky, Arteta, Wilshere and Flamini. Moreover, instead of having no less than nine (9) midfielders at the beginning of a season, the group was reduced to seven (7).
It seems Arsene Wenger must have felt a midfield complement of Ozil, Cazorla, Ramsey, Coquelin, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Elneny and the newly signed Xhaka could see the club through. To be honest, that was more or less the same number available to play in 2015-16.
That was a gamble which didn’t payoff especially after Santi succumbed to injury. I don’t expect Wenger, who in my considered opinion will be the manager next year, to again take that risk. He must have already identified his targets and put out feelers to his prospects. I expect another high quality midfielder to be signed next summer, someone in the mould of our little Spanish magician who can act as a deep-lying playmaker. (I am assuming the top, top priority will be re-signing Ozil and Oxlade-Chamberlain.)
In closing, for those who still doubt the value of technically gifted players like Mikel Arteta, I leave you with what to me is an amazing statistic; he made only 9 substitute appearances in the 2015-16 season, weighed down by his dodgy calves, but still managed an 87% passing percentage, the lowest ever in his Arsenal career.
Never forget what your Momma said: “You never know what you have until it is gone.”
Positively Arsenal 
Great work again. I think the real error in judgment came last season, when really, we should have won the league if our finishing numbers weren’t so poor.
Wenger made two gambles that year, Relying on Arteta to still play a role in midfield. And relying on Walcott to score the extra 10-15 goals. I think individually both those gambles are understandable. But taken together, we neither had the goals and Arteta’s absence through injury left us with a lack of nous in midfield once Santi went down.
I think this season Wenger covered us by adding to the defense in the form of Mustafi. Adding to the attack in Perez (who has been unfortunate not to play due to the timing of his injuries) and adding Xhaka in midfield. I think the idea was that we’d have Coquelin and Cazorla as the midfield partnership to start, with Xhaka and Ramsey eased in gradually as the other (and more preferable in the long term) partnership. Add in Coquelin and Elneny for depth and that was ok. Though if it were me, I wouldn’t have let Wilshere go.
But what happened is that not only did Santi get injured, Ramsey was out for a really long time too. Also, Xhaka’s acclimatisation was hampered by Jon Moss’ dislike of him. (He missed 7 games with suspension apart from minutes in the two games he got sent off in) Even Elneny had to go to the ACN and then got injured. So despite better planning, with two separate partnerships in mind, injuries did us in again.
What can we do about it? Add more quality. Maybe have more ‘similar’ players in the squad? Like have a Xhaka like deep playmaker who can cover for Xhaka in case of injury/rest. Have a dribbly ball carrier for Santi (the toughest ask)? (Then people will say we have no Plan B obviously) I don’t know what the answer is. But I bet Arsene does. So when he says they are already working on targets for next season, I get a little excited by that.
However, there is just so much up in the air about next season that it’s virtually futile for us to look past the FA Cup right now. Manager’s and players’ contractual situations. Squad size is too large so some must go (sold or loan) What formation is preferred. We’ll know in time. For now there’s more football to watch for us. Can’t complain about that really.
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The key is fitness, not numbers, quality or age.
We extended Rosicky by a year, and he had 10 minutes football. Arteta was extended by a year and don’t think he played at all. Jack has been injured season after season, for the past two seasons Santi with unexplained injuries that start minor but we never see him again. Then there is the interminable hamstring/calf/thigh strain catalogue of the Ox and Aaron that has robbed them of playing time and the chance to develop year after year. Hopefully the last two are finally beginning to put a series of games together.
Thank god Xhaka appears robust enough to cope in the PL, Le Coq is not prone to injury, and given the number of games he plays Ozil is another one with a decent fitness record. Elneny had one spell out after the ACN which for an Arsenal midfielder is good.
We probably therefore have a core of five reliable midfield players.
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Coquelin is not prone to injury but like any other athlete if he’s not protected his career will be interrupted:
uncalled hack that led to an injury (yup!) in a home match against Chelsea set him back after his first break through and almost ended his AFC career.
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The injury that kept Le Coq out last season for a while was the result of a two footed lunge by him on a West Brom player Yacob
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlMiP_-inVg
Its not always them
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Well then… this is so enjoyable and well written… in my mind, i feel so many of these things and it’s nice to see stats that back this up…
in that 2008 year, we lost Eduardo, I felt the loss of Rosicky affected us more cos his work with Hleb and Flamini were understated much like Santi, Ramsey coquelin for us now… Once U remove one key person like Rosicky and then Carzola, it is not easy.
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Good one Shotts,as always!
Slightly off subject, but on website, I heard a quote today that should put the Wob and their on-going Groanhog day in perspective:
” we either positively affect people, or negatively infect people”.
Long may PA affect everyone!
COYG!
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Interesting post Shotta, and good points all round.
Interesting that the season’s outcomes are on a knife edge for us especially so late in the season. We will get one of four outcomes – win the FAC, win the FAC plus Top Four, get to Top Four alone, or neither of the above.
If the season ends with maximum disappointment then no doubt the merry old refrain of – ‘time to clear out the dead wood’ will once again be heard around various parts of the supporting fraternity.
The actual definition of dead wood will always rest with Arsene, for as long as he is around. His faith in his players is almost legendary so it’s debatable how many we’d lose this summer, should he stay. If he goes, a new manager might take a very different view but even here, and even with a maniac like Mourinho in charge, the number of players that can be released, replaced and re-integrated into a team whilst retaining competitiveness must be limited.
I’m pretty sure Arsene and his scouting team are always working on the next transfer and any pronouncements on this front will likely be made with half an eye on season ticket renewals. But there is an added incentive to get more transfer work than normal completed this summer and that is the 2018 World Cup which must make life more complicated all round.
I do think we are at one of the most interesting points in Arsenal’s history with any number of players at forks in their careers and the direction of the manager, regardless of whether he goes now or in two/three years time, very much up for grabs.
I also genuinely believe we are not that far off a very decent side indeed and I find that hugely exciting.
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“I also genuinely believe we are not that far off a very decent side indeed and I find that hugely exciting.”
AA- I was thinking the very same thing today. Im really interested to see who might come in this season. Win the FAC and who knows what momentum that will kick off..?
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Ok so I just saw a Motd clip of the pundits (Phil Neville and Martin Keown) complaining about…wait for it… Some Arsenal players exchanging pleasantries in the tunnel with some ManU players.(Monreal looks like he’s going to a christening) How very dare h! outrageous! They are supposed to hate each other, or behave the exact way the ex players (say they) did.
And that passes off as football analysis.
Even after the Spurs game. We conceded a goal to poor defending. What was the analysis. Delle Alli wanted it more. (Personally, not to excuse the poor defensing, but I thought the players were tentative because they know of the propensity for Spurs players to go down and get rewarded for it)
Want it more. Don’t hug the players in the tunnel. Be clever when you get in the opposition box (though this option doesn’t apply to foreigners unless they wear the Spurs or ManU kits, and to no one at Arsenal) and bob’s your uncle, hey presto, you’ve won a football match. Anyone can be a manager.
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Shard at 12:01pm – I am totally sick and tired of the psuedo analysis by these pundits and most of our uber bloggers-podcasters. You would think 21 years of data, almost 716 games, would provide enough material to better inform and educate Arsenal fans rather than promote fear and despair.
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Well written and self explanatory blog and very good comments.
To add to AA’s last paragraph:
“I also genuinely believe we are not that far off a very decent side indeed and I find that hugely exciting.”
Should Alexis indeed call time on his Arsenal career there is a very capable, equally hungry goal and less renegade scorer in Lucas Perez – whom we already have – that could fill that void.
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Great post Shotts,
On Jack I still feel Arsene made the right decision based on the info at the time Jack wanted to go out on loan and he needed a period of regular football to regain match fitness. Given the amount of smashers there is in the U23 league a loan was probably the best idea.
Next year it’s definetly a Santi type player we need maybe in the Isco mould.
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No Andrew not always such as with JWs second last training ground injury but then that wasn’t career threatening (in itself).
but the frequancy of tackles that have crocked AFC players can’t be obfuscated or ignored and there are no favours are gained by doing so. No one has ever written that the refs have no ability (save Apprentice Taylor hence the ‘Apprentice’ prefix I had hope that was obvious alongside the oft written praise for the likes of our favourite officials Dickie Bird etc.), and no one wants to watch touch free football either.
Arteta a great player for AFC is another player who had his career ended/seriously offset, this time by an uncalled stomp (not in a PL but CL).
This is all one reason why the next Diaby (they’re not that common! Just ask Paul Pogba) won’t be coming from France to AFC.
It was a valiant effort to correct the record on RBs alone who have injured without any protection from the officials whose only jpob is to protect the players. alas those efforts were undermined in spectacularly league credibility diminishing fashion by the pgMOB in the very next game, yet again when AFC visit SB. I’m not writing the script
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What of the Ox in the Santi mold… he is improving his defending and holding on to the ball a lot more and is doing well from deep
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Zizou is preparing Isco to take over from the older pros at Madrid. They won’t let him go, then again you never know with Madrid! Unlikely.
AFC are going to have to dig up a gemstone from somewhere without getting gazumped as with Mata etc.
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Perez remains a disappointment in so far as every time I’ve seen him play he’s been first class or thereabouts; hopefully the injury gods next season …
I fully expect to see the best of Perez and Mustafi next season, I don’t think Holding’s prospects will be best served away from the Mother Ship and assuming the poisonous element of the fanbase haven’t put Bellerin off for life, he also will be another who will continue to progress rapidly having, like Holding, already shown huge potential.
One of the players of the season for me (yes, I know it’s a bit early for this) – is Monreal. Undemonstrative and largely unsung, he has been superb. Stuck with partnering Sanchez on countless overlaps, he’s ALWAYS made himself available and just happened to score one of the trickiest volleyed goals of the season recently.
Ox looks a beast and he and Granit will provide decent grit next season also.
I mention these (and could mention others) because it really isn’t all about Sanchez and Ozil, there’s a bigger picture out there and just because we haven’t necessarily seen the best of those two, doesn’t mean a vast rebuild awaits the squad this summer.
Sure, it’s building and developing – but not slash and burn, in my opinion, by any means.
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Ianspace at 12:31pm:
Isco, eh. Great call. Did you know he was mentored early in his career at Malaga by Santi? You can see it in his play. But as Fins responded Zizou is no idiot and I doubt he would countenance another Ozil-like escape from Madrid. I put nothing past Arsene Wenger though. Fins once dubbed the boss “Arsene Vulture”. Despite the money gap he found ways to snap up Santi, Ozil and and Alexis from under the nose of some big clubs. Based on his history, no doubt he saved some of the transfer budget for a very special player.
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Shotts thank you.
Midfield is the key!
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Fins: A great striker is a great topping on the cake, a la Henry. But midfield is the key ingredient (see Bergkamp, Pires). A Wenger team will always create chances and a decent set of strikers witth varied attributes is better than relying on one great striker, a la Van Persie. In the Dutchman’s MVP year we came 3rd. That speaks for itself.
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The injury that ended Arteta’s career meant the club lost him ahead of the time they’d planned for, i believe that the squad had been reconstructed with a staggered transition of the three post F Wors linchpins/leaders in mind, first a phasing and replacement of Mertesacker, then Arteta and then finally Cazorla.
That’s always been my understanding.
AW being so loyal was not as ruthless as some would prefer and gave Arteta a chance to rebuild and lead another campaign whereas other managers will take more ‘ruthless’ actions which can cause dressing rooms revolts as witnessed with Chelsea’s billion dollar squad to down tools.
As Cazorla said: ‘I never realised how close aw is to his players’, with a beaming smile on his face. That’s one reason why he came to the club, why he’s played so well! Alongside his maturity and experience, however snagging a gem at that age under the noses of the petro club is no fluke!
We’ve all seen Maya’s quality but I’m glad the club ended up with the two footed Saint. As Ramsey said in awe:” he’s different class”.
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I meant Mata and not my colleague Maya (though she is Spanish and also plays football, quite well, better then me…)
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Shotts
A midfield of rookies, denislon, song and Fabregas all of them u21 took AFC to CL QFs (I think?) and constant top 4 even after City had spent on their squad for several years.
Unprecedented and probably not to be repeated unless we see a freak squad like Ajax from the mid nineties. Given the demand for proven mature players at every PL club, especially in CM, unless there’s a collapse in the football bubble (not going to happen) I can’t see it ever being repeated in this league.
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Southampton have a good midfield.
Davies. The player Gazprom let go had a great match in n5 earlier in the season.
They were completely robbed during the diddly cup final, the crew of mixed souls I know at AFC all agreed when I asked their opinions on that match.
They’ll give AFC a tougher match then Utd.
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ARSENE RULES OUT DIRECTOR OF FOOTBALL
LONDON — Arsene Wenger has emphatically ruled out the possibility of Arsenal hiring a sporting director as long as he remains manager, insisting he will always be in charge of technical matters.
Wenger has yet to announce whether he’s staying on as manager after his contract expires this summer, but made it clear that he’s not ready to cede some of his responsibilities to a director of football, who could oversee transfer dealings and contract negotiations.
“No, no, no. Sorry, no,” Wenger told a news conference on Tuesday when asked about the possibility of a restructuring. “I’m the manager of Arsenal Football Club and as long as I’m manager of Arsenal Football Club, I will decide what happens on the technical front. And that’s it.”
That stance could potentially put him on a collision course with CEO Ivan Gazidis, who has promised to make changes in response to the club’s run of poor results since the turn of the year. Arsenal risk missing out on the Premier League’s top four for the first time under Wenger after losing games to Chelsea, Liverpool, West Brom, Crystal Palace and Tottenham since February.
Gazidis has reportedly started drawing up a list of candidates for a sporting director role, but Wenger said he doesn’t see the point of such a position.
“I don’t know what director of football means. Is it somebody who stands in the road and directs players right and left?” he said. “I don’t understand and I never did understand what it means.”
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Ooh. Wenger shuts down talk of Director of Football and of a restructuring. I like it. (I always like assertive/fighty Wenger)
I’m on record here as saying that a DoF can be a good idea for the future of the club. I can understand Wenger’s reluctance to work with one at this stage, UNLESS he can see the benefits to the team and the club.
The roles and responsibilities will have to be mapped out. But, I do think that the idea of a GM, as they call that position in US sports, makes sense. Sometimes though, they combine the titles of the coach and the GM because the manager demands it and is trusted. I guess that’s how AW sees himself. And I have no problem with that really, because the main reason for appointing a GM goes away with Wenger at the helm. Namely that personnel decisions should not be left to only the immediate term, but beyond the manager’s tenure as well, which a lot of managers aren’t keen to look at these days.
Of course, Wenger himself has said he doesn’t handle the negotiations personally and only steps in when asked to. So it’s not like he’s doing everything on his own.
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Wenger, over many years, has ALWAYS rejected the idea of a Director of Football at Arsenal, at least during his watch.
So we know two things.
Ivan talking earlier in the season regarding an appointment of a DofF.
And Arsene, again earlier in the season, talking of an announcement regarding his future, coming in ‘March or April’.
One wonders if the delay regarding the latter is in some way connected to the statement of the former.
Intriguing stuff; Ivan must be aware as the rest of us of Arsene’s long-term antipathy towards the proposed new role so why come out with such a statement?
And who authorised him, if anyone, to do so?
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Shard: The most successful basketball franchise in the NBA is the San Antonio Spurs which, unlike its flashy big spending rivals, is a small market team. Its success is/was based on a foundation of stability centered around coach Popovich. As GM he fired the coach (cant remember the name) and combined those duties. He has sole responsibility for the technical direction of the team. They won 5 NBA titles subsequently. Of course he had a super-player, Tim Duncan, around whom the team was built. But over the past 20 years they have been a model of consistency, always one of the 4 top teams in the very competitive Western conference. Meanwhile other teams have flashy expensive administrative wannabes who only get in the way of the coach.
Hopefully Ivan doesn’t import this corporate monstrosity to Arsenal Football Club.
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Think it was a DOF who advised genius businessman Levy to spend millions on the retired ex-footballer Adebayor.
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Seem to recall Newcastle once upon a time (in the last 6 years or so) having a ‘difficult’ experience with a DofF – not least, if memory serves, the incumbent insisted in living and working in London …
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shotta
I really admire the San Antonio Spurs. The similarities between those Spurs and Arsenal seem apparent to me. I agree with you. I did say sometimes those functions are combined (Tom Thibadeaux at Minnesotta since last year also insisted he also have the GM title)
Well, just like there can be wrong managerial choices, there can also be wrong GM choices. But the Celtics for example are doing well with their GM (ex player Danny Ainge, and young coach Brad Stevens) Then in baseball, the Chicago Cubs won the world series after 108 years and they credit the guy they brought in from the Boston Red Sox (where he built a title winning team after an 86(?) year drought for the franchise) Theo Epstein I think his name is.
As I said, I view it like this. Most managers are incentivized to win now. This means they concentrate on the immediate term, even at the cost of the medium or long term future of the club. Someone at the club needs to handle recruitment keeping a broader, longer term view. Whether that comes from the Chairman, CEO, or a GM doesn’t matter so much as the fact that that aspect is being looked after. We know Wenger does it. Maybe the next man won’t.
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Once again, good for you, Shotta!
Once upon a time, there was talk about a DOF, an the Board of Directors said that Mr Wenger would still make the decisions!
Martin Samuel had an interview with AW, published 24th August 2009.
“Is that why you turned down Real Madrid? When they contacted you they must have spelled out what was going to happen. (Wenger nods.) You could have been in charge of this whole project, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka. Why did you not accept?
“I want to go to the end of my job here. I built this team, I want to deliver with this team and I feel if I left I would have in some way betrayed my own beliefs. It is as simple as that. It was nothing to do with what Real Madrid has done. It was about Arsenal. I have a project here that I started three or four years ago and I want to reach the end of it. I could not leave this team at this stage of their development.”
or,
“Yes, but once you get into that position you are in a trap. When Cesc Fabregas was 18, 19, I would play him in a 4-4-2 with Patrick Vieira and I saw it did not work. Then I had the decision to make about letting Patrick go, because Gilberto Silva and Vieira worked, Fabregas and Silva worked, but I could not play Fabregas and Vieira. But Fabregas was 19 and if he did not play I knew he would want to go, so we risked destroying everything, all the work we had put into this player. Now we have that same situation with Jack Wilshere.
“He is 17 and we cannot ask him to play every game to win the championship, he will play a few games maybe. But next year he will be ready to play all the time, he will want to play all the time and if we have bought a player in his position he will want to go. That is why you either have a policy of buying confirmed players, top, top players of 23 or over, or doing it as we are. (Animatedly.) The team we have now gets there. At 22 or 23 I think a team is mature enough to deliver and it is a massively important year for our club. I am conscious of that. I know people have no patience anymore.”
So, what has changed? Since 2009? The “juveniles” are still juveniles!
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How NOT to handle the GM – Coach dynamic
https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/why-looks-end-thomas-tuchel-borussia-dortmund
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Horrible ignorant bloke Paul Merson is.
‘I’m sure he will do everything he can to try and stay. What else is Wenger going to do? Without Arsenal, he hasn’t got too much in his life, so he will want to stay.’
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Says the gambleaholic alchi coke head
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If you fancy getting irritated, check out AFTV interview with Merson.
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As though Paul Merson has a clue what Arsene Wenger has or does not have in his life. Enjoy it while you can Paul, your run as the celebrity village idiot has run its course. Next stop a month in the jungle and munching live cockroaches with Ant & Dec.
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Damn. Dani Alves still has it. What a cross. Mandzukic heads, saved by gk and Mandzukic follows up and score.
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Well Wenger’s comments on a DoF may contribute to the rumors of a bit of a fall out with some of the board, most notably Gazidis, who seems to want a DoF, and if Ajax and a couple of German clubs are to be believed, has sounded out their DoF’s.
Of course Wenger’s comment – “as long as I’m manager of Arsenal Football Club, I will decide what happens on the technical front” – is only right and proper, but for me it does not actually rule out a DoF, it just defines or limits the scope of his control. As I’ve stated before there are two very distinct and and very different models of DoF.
1. Oversees all football operations other than those undertaken by the manager/head coach, and his staff. would have full control of all transfer both in and out, can hire and fire not only the coaching staff, but he manger too, would even be in control of football ethos.
2. Works for the manager/head coach, performs transfer negotiations and contract renewal talks, but targets are still picked by the manager/head coach, all roster decisions are still at the behest of the manager/head coach. Has no say in hiring or firing of manager or coaching staff.
No. 2 would be the sort of DoF that would mean the manger still is in charge of all technical decisions regarding the team.
Many of the things No. 2 does is currently carried out by Ivan Gazidis, and Dick Law at present. If such a DoF is appointed it would merely mean that our manger would deal with one person instead of 2 when it comes to incoming and out going players.
A No.1 type DoF would in all likelyhood see Wenger leave. What odds we appoint a No. 2 type, Wenger stays and the WOB try and paint it as a climb down by Wenger.
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Team news: Laurent, Lucas, Xhaka, Welbz
What’s the latest on our squad ahead of Wednesday’s trip to Southampton?
Arsène Wenger spoke to the media on Tuesday morning and provided an update.
on the team news…
We have a real check up today but we have some worries for Koscielny that he may not be available tomorrow. He will have a test today and we’ll make the decision after training.
on Xhaka coming off early against Man United…
Xhaka is similar but he looks to have recovered quite well. The news for him is better but he will have a test as well today.
on if Welbeck was injured against Man United…
No, he’s OK.
on Lucas…
He’s fit again and was back in training again yesterday.
Copyright 2017 The Arsenal Football Club plc. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to http://www.arsenal.com as the source
Read more at http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20170509/team-news-laurent-lucas-xhaka-welbz#ZgpuQR6foXJU3kGK.99
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https://t.co/Wo6GTiAVKb
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Paul Weller: “I’m not going to go on ‘Piers Morgan’s Life Stories’ and talk to that c**t” http://trib.al/QUs7AwP
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Football.London @Football_LDN 8h8 hours ago
Mike Dean confirmed as referee for Stoke vs Arsenal.
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AFP news agencyVerified account @AFP 1h1 hour ago
#BREAKING FIFA to investigate Paul Pogba’s Manchester United transfer
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Have they ever finished the Sutton pie eating reserve keeper investigation Eddy ?
Must be three months since Poirot began his enquiry !
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these things don’t go quickly anicol, but just like joey barton the sutton goalie will deserve any ban he gets.
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Agree on our MF being a bit light….though next year,,think we will see what an amazing player Xhaka can be….?Think Ramsey can improve on his season and get back to his best, and there are others. In hindsight, Jack leaving for a whole season may not have been the best decision….but what’s done is done, and I would expect further recruitment in the Santi role.
As for the DOF role, can see both sides…if indeed there are two sides. Such a figure can help in the transition when Wenger goes, and on the other hand, Wenger has since Dein not worked under a DOF…..guess he is now happy with that situation, so why change.
But I sense mischief, and power play at hand, if some are taking on Wenger, trying to change him….or even worse, drive him out, hope they think very…very carefully.
Change can be good, I don’t doubt for a minute there ate things that can be improved, but depends what’s behind it. just hope the players focus well away from this noise
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he’ll probably get a food ban and look like crouchie by the end of the year
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Wenger: “Pérez returned to full training yesterday. He is a top quality striker and I wasn’t able to give him the games he deserves. There was uncertainty about Giroud and Welbeck at the start, Alexis played. Then all were fit. I do feel sorry for him (Pérez) If I’m here next season, I’d love to keep him, but we must be realistic about opportunities. It doesn’t take away from his quality”
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Nice piece, Shotta.
I don’t have any dog in the fight on the DoF thing. I don’t have any idea whether it’s a good, bad or neutral idea. But I’ll tell you this: AW saying “Is it somebody who stands in the middle of the road and directs players right or left?” made me laugh out loud. I love it when he unleashes that wicked sense of humor.
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™ @TheFalseNein 10h10 hours ago
Head of recruitment, negotiations or strategy would’ve got a different answer. Clear AW sees ‘footballing direction’ as the managers job.
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