@GoonerReverend ponders the hereafter this morning and the Great Leap Forward
Football waits for no man and as recent events at Arsenal have shown the show always goes on no matter what is happening or who is leaving the game that is the English Premier League. Arsene Wenger & Arsenal have parted company after 22 successful years and the club is much stronger & much better positioned than when this partnership started back in 1996. The King is dead “Long Live the King” but now we have to prepare for the next chapter in the history of The Arsenal Football Club. Replacing a manager is never easy replacing a long serving manger is nigh on impossible and you only have to look at Manchester Utd to truly understand the scale of the task facing the powers that be in the Arsenal board room. Everyone has a view on who should be Arsenal’s next manager but at the end of the day the only opinion that matters is that of the Arsenal board members designated to choose Wenger’s successor.
The future is both exciting and frightening at the same time because nobody really knows what is going to happen when the new man takes over. Arsenal supporters all have their ideas on who should be the next manager with many demanding the appointment of a high profile manager like Max Allegri or Luis Enrique but the reality is that Arsenal have never been a club that appoints this type of manager in their entire history & are more likely to appoint a young manager with ties to the club as they feel that appointing a manager that fully understands and believes in the Arsenal values & principles will be of far greater benefit to the club’s stability than employing a short term fix that may or may not bring instant success. Fans have always been good at spending money that is not theirs because they don’t need to worry where this money is coming from and it is no different with the forthcoming appointment of the new manager.One of the fan favoutites & Juventus current manager. Max Allegri reportedly wants to know how much the Arsenal board will give him to spend on new signings & has supposedly said he would need to bring in up to 5 new players to make the team competitive. Now this is all media speculation as Arsenal never publicly divulge any discussions they are having or may have with candidates they have identified, The other alleged issue is that he is unsure if he can work within the new management structure implemented by Arsenal. Ivan Gazidis has now taken a hands-on role with the football club and moved his office to the training ground to be closer to the action along with Raul Sanllehi Head of Football Relations and Sven Mislintat Head of Player Recruitment.
This new structure is not going to suit everyone and Gazidis stated that he is looking for a manager that will be similar in his philosophy to Wenger’s along with the clubs philosophy of developing young players while working within the club’s self sustainability model. In this current climate of spend spend spend the Arsenal manager position may not be as attractive to some big name coaches as many Arsenal fans would like to believe it is. Luis Enrique has reportedly priced himself out of the position which is very believable when you look at Arsenal’s spending policy. Joachim Low has just extended his contract with the German National Team & despite the numerous rumours and many Arsenal fans insistence that he is coming Allegri is still contracted to Juventus and they will be very reluctant to let him go. If you believe the British press former Arsenal mid-fielder and current Manchester City No.2 Mikel Arteta is the red hot favourite to be the next manager of Arsenal. Sure there are a number of reasons why Arteta is not seen by many fans as the ideal replacement for Wenger as they believe his lack of managerial experience counts against his ability to transform the current squad into a title contending squad.
Some Arsenal fans had convinced themselves that the board would plump for a big name coach no matter what the cost but if you look at Arsenals history there is nothing to indicate that they were ever going to do that. Bertie Mee 1966-1976 Terry Neill 1976-1983 Don Howe 1983-1986 George Graham 1986-1995 Bruce Rioch 1995-1996 Arsene Wenger 1996-2018. Arsenal prefer managers with some connection to the club as they feel that if the manager has an intimate connection with the club they are more likely to respect the values of the club. Arsene Wenger was a left field appointment with no connection to the club but over the next 22 years became the focal point for the clubs values that he enthusiastically embraced and championed. Should Arsenal appoint Arteta as many are predicting it will clearly be a gamble but it will be a calculated gamble because they will be appointing a manager that clearly knows the culture and values of the club as well as many of the key stakeholders and football club staff and players he will be working with. There has been some negative comment about the possible appointment on social media but that is to be expected because everyone has their personal favourite and social media is the focal point for voicing disappointment.
Many fans believe that only a top coach with a history of winning trophies can manage Arsenal and turn them into a championship winning team but if you look at the growing influence of Josh Kronke you will understand where the club is possibly heading. In 2016 the Kronke’s fired Head Coach Jeff Fisher from their Los Angeles Rams football team and replaced him with 30 year old management rookie Sean McVey. This was a calculated gamble which has proven to be a good decision and it has become clear that Josh Kronke was central to this decision. Arsenal have always been a club that do things their own way and Josh Kronke is also a man who is very much his own man who likes to do things his way and is not adverse to taking calculated risks. There is no guarantee that the Arsenal board will appoint Arteta as their next manager but its even more doubtful that they will spend 10-15 million pounds a year on a high profile manager trying to buy success. Whatever happens and whoever they decide to appoint it is exciting times for Arsenal supporters because changing manager is a leap into the great unknown. No one really knows how it will turn out and in todays football world every new managerial appointment is a calculated risk. If Arsenal are going to take a gamble on a young manager with potential and give him the time & support to grow into the role we really are heading off into a brave new world and in the process we could be creating a new era of sustainable success for our grand old club.
Positively Arsenal 
lots of rumors tonight that Arteta is the replacement for Wenger, with several former players coming in as part of the coaching team, including player coach Santi Cazorla, seems Henry and Ljunberg in too, Mad Jens and Bould staying too
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so our two most recent club captains will next season be First Team Manager and Head of Academy, the ASB don’t seem to like the idea of former Arsenal players getting these jobs
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well the appointment of Arteta is the easiest way of exposing the hypocrites in the fan base,
no surprise to see so many of the WOB are now Arteta out, and the ink not dry on his contract.
Already rewriting his AFC playing history, poor captain, soft.
idiots the lot of them
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If Arteta has that lot with him, sounds like he is covered from all angles
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Also a few rumours about Alonso as well, for what its worth, they go back a long way
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Meant to say Xabi alonso as opposed to the Chelsea player or racing driver
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Ed, isn’t Ljungberg supposed to be involved with the youth/reserve teams rather than the first team?
Santi as player/coach is interesting. Never thought of him as a coach per se, but having him around the training ground will be a huge boost. What technique he has, and such a jovial guy.
Henry, I’ve already expressed my doubts, but whatever.
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Rich, about agents, I think your last paragraph is correct. I think agents aren’t really agents anymore. For one, Fifa has done away with the registration process and license that agents needed. And another, the agents can now represent all 3 parties in a transfer (like Raiola for Pogba’s transfer). But from a footballer’s perspective, agents are more like career managers.
Imagine as a young player, you just know how to play football. You have offers from several clubs, all of whom want you, but could just as easily dump you. Maybe they wanted to take you away from a rival. Maybe they change the coach and you fall out of favour. Whatever. Who do you trust?
This guy who has a whole clutch of clients. He knows the history of the clubs/presidents/coaches and he can guide you on who to join. He offers you not just the best wages you can get, but also lines up sponsors, and possibly provides a safety net for you if you get injured before you make it big. He protects/enhances your image in the media by intervening with journalists/editors/newspaper owners. Apparently, he can also get you national team selections, and presumably, personal awards.
By the time you grow up to be a famous premier league footballer, you feel he has done a good job guiding your career. Unless there is serious disagreement about a future path, you would continue to trust him.
And as for the money he’s made off of you, you just see that as win-win. You don’t expect him to work for free after all.
I realise that makes agents sound almost altruistic. That’s nonsense, but I think the system, rather than the individuals are mostly at fault. An agent must be registered, stopped from earning off of more than one party in a transfer, and I think they should cap how much agents can earn from a player’s transfer either in a year or in a lifetime. What we see with Raiola and Mendes is not just their earnings, but the potential control they have over a club/league’s fortunes. This is the disgusting part. A part we the fans care about, but the player cannot.
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Shard
Good comments. Added twist in Jonny Evans case is that his dad works for the agency who represent Jonny.
Still find it very hard to put myself in players shoes, especially when they are no longer youngsters.
In football terms, Evans is a very mature player and I’d expect him to want full control over where he ends up, and even to dislike the idea on principle of his agent getting such an enormous reward when essentially there is no need at all for him, other than negotiating wages and contract length on this transfer.
That must be where I go wrong most on it. I can’t escape the perspective that there should be decency and sense involved in how much agents earn, and that there are figures which would make the player angry or even disgusted with their representatives for demanding. All evidence suggests large numbers of players simply don’t feel that way.
Absolutely loved what I read in a mourinho book that Ozil resisted pressure from his former agent and mourinho to sign up with Mendes and instead was prompted to find another agent himself. So there are players out there who resist.
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Funnily enough, I was waffling on earlier this week about Soyuncu and more specifically that extra 10-20 pc (or more really) the richer clubs than us can pay for young talent, and later that day, following a Wenger interview, there were articles about how we missed out on Ronaldo.
Same day or the next, David Conn retweeted an article of his from a few years earlier, which included a mysterious 1 million payment to an unknown agent in that deal.
Only came to light because of a dispute between Mendes and the agency of Rooney’s former agent. They had a tie up over Portuguese players and Mendes broke the terms.
A mysterious Italian agent, associate of Capello, was in the mix, and ultimately United refused to say who the million pounds went to.
Basically sounded much like the things i’ve read about Dembele and Neymar’s first big moves: the shenanigans involved beforehand were, I believe, of a nature we surely would never get involved with. My take is this outright rules us out of the running for many an exceptional talent. Both worth reading up on.
I believe our refusal to play anything-to-win football, in combination with refereeing which looks much like penalising not playing that football, costs us, at a conservative estimate, 5 per cent (more like 10, I think) each year; and quite likely it’s the same for playing it clean in the world of agents.
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I think Ferguson was also accused of pushing his players to sign with his son’s agency, using appearances as a system of reward and punishment. Was this the BBC panorama story that led him to not talk to the BBC for years. And yet they sucked up to him later. There were also rumours around the 7m signing of Bebe being to cover Nani’s failed drugs test. But unproven rumours.
The way I see it, when you have access to funds/resources, you try to earn off of it. It starts small but when everyone is doing it, it becomes normalised. I think a lot of football managers/agents/owners will see this as a legitimate part of their earnings. This is how business is done they will claim. Which just makes it even more extraordinary for someone like Wenger to stay out of it. Arsenal as a club, I am not certain have always managed to stay entirely clean, but I think they try. And that is important to me.
Much as many of our own ‘fans’ decry Arteta and a lack of ambition, I think it is far better than handing over the keys to the club to people like Raoila and Mendes, which is what ManU did after Ferguson left. All to stay relevant in the media narrative. Last season was the first time ManU finished above Arsenal since AF retired. You wouldn’t think that was true if you listened to the media. Also there’s no ‘power shift’ articles about them. I think the money that agents receive goes into a lot of pockets, not just into theirs.
I think the transfer window was initiated to increase agents fees. It is also around the same time that they made the refs full time professionals.
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Darrenarsenal1 says it is a done deal so almost at the stage of just waiting for a club announcement.
Get the fears of genuine supporters over a lack of experience but this could end up a very exciting appointment.
Youngest manager in the prem by a way I believe
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MA was a very good footballer just a couple of notches below top class. PV was top class, as was TH. I’ve noticed over the years that by and large the very best coaches tend not to have been the best players. I have a strong feeling that in a few years time MA will be regarded as one of the world’s top managers.
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Edu
I appreciated your podcast.
Obviously you’ll not be making mucho dosh from it as you’re almost unique in voicing the bolux Arsenal go through with the various footy prats.
I felt sad at the Injuries 11 yet satisfied they’d been acknowledged. Good pod.
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My instinct is to support the under-dog
Even when it is Chelsea (sucks lemon and screws up face)
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I back Chelsea all the way today, but only in the hope that OG has a great end to the season for all that he has done for Arsenal . Sorry Alexis!
Hope Giroud does rather well with France too
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media reporting that big Ego Theirry Its about me me me Henry, will refuse an offer to be part of Arteta’s back room team, as he is only interested in himself, sorry only interested in being the boss himself. and will present his vision for the club to the board on Monday. Hopefully Arteta will be announced as boss today or tomorrow.
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saw this headline on newsnow…
Thierry Henry wants Arsenal manager job and won’t join backroom staff Daily Mail12:41
Shock; horror!
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Jose in Man U is enough to support chelsea… OG at chelsea along with Moses is more reason to support Alexis at Man is another plus in my support for Chelsea so..
Chelsea all the way!
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Who do youI fancy for the FA cup? Personally both sides finish with 8 men each, and Chelsea win by the odd goal in 7 or 9.
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What’s with the pogba love in? What’s he done for £90 m Cunt.
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Tom Bennett, who has been at Arsenal for eight years and Michael O’Brien, who has been assistant to club secretary David Miles are leaving the club this summer, the review by Josh Kroenke is really seeing a major turnover of staff
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great article from the guardian
Per Mertesacker: ‘As Arsenal academy manager I will challenge the players’ mindsets’
In an exclusive extract from his new book, the former defender explains what he learned during his career and how footballers must do more to condition their bodies
Sat 19 May 2018 09.00 BST
Last modified on Sat 19 May 2018 13.34 BST
I invested a lot in my fitness. My personal network [of therapists] cost me 10% of my net salary, several hundreds of thousands of euros. But it was absolutely the right decision and it paid off as after two seasons I extended my contract by a further three years. I wouldn’t have been able to play for a top club for seven years in the Premier League without these additional therapies.
My experience has taught me that you simply cannot do enough. For example, I was a big fan of yoga from the beginning because I had seen that it improved stability and flexibility.
Even at the age of 33 I was one of the most flexible at Arsenal when it came to my back muscles. Hardly anyone came to the yoga sessions that the club offered. Often there were only four of us: Héctor Bellerín, Nacho Monreal and Tomas Rosicky.
The youth players who were promoted to the first team smiled at these exercises. They thought we were meditating. They were happy with the ball at their feet but for everything else there was a lack of desire. “I play football and go to training. That’s enough.”
But no, it isn’t enough when you want to maintain a certain level for a long time or want to improve.
Either you are learning from scratch, from your parents and the teachers and coaches around you, to take responsibility, or you don’t do it at all. This is the kind of dumbing down we must fight against.
In the autumn of 2017 an under-18 player came and asked whether we could sit down for a chat. I nearly fell over, I was so surprised. That hadn’t happened in the six and a half years I had been there. He wanted to speak to me about leadership.
I used a lot of energy trying to convince team-mates they should do more for their bodies and try new things. But working long term to improve their weaknesses? Hardly anyone.
When I injured myself against Sunderland [in the 2011-12 season] I started working with Lars Lienhard. A former athlete, he is a sports scientist as well as a pioneer when it comes to neurally controlled training.
Working with him was a huge success. We always assume that we can run and see properly because nothing hurts. But that is a mistake. Lars showed me that our eyes are a big factor in everything, above all when it comes to our timing.
On my right side my timing was super but I had the feeling my left eye was not really up for it. Why was that? And was it possible to train and improve [the left eye] so that I didn’t have to turn my whole body in order to look left? It all meant that in 50% of the times the ball came towards me my brain said: “Hey, I can’t really see that ball so I’m not going to jump for it.”
And as my left eye was not really looking at the ball I was always twisting my neck to use my dominant right eye.
Football doesn’t really deal with those things, despite the fact they can be decisive. Players would rather lift weights, stand on their own with their dumbbells – but how does that help me on the pitch?
During the exercises with Lars one could see quite clearly that my eyes were moving differently when an object was approaching me. My left eye always remained in the middle rather than focusing on the object.
He showed me how to make my left eye stronger. I had a patch on my right eye, forcing my left eye to focus on the objects. And after a few weeks I could really notice the difference in games. If there was a high ball from the left I had a much better feeling for where it would end up.
With Lars’s help I stayed injury-free for four and a half years. Meeting him changed my life as a footballer.
The important thing was to do exercises myself before games as well to adjust the eyes. One example was a kind of push-up for the eyes. You bring a pencil in towards your nose and force your eyes towards the middle. When you do that at the training ground a lot of people think: “What is he doing now? Is he completely stupid?”
Arsène Wenger: ‘I haven’t emptied my desk and in a way I am still in shock’
Mainly I was doing it at home or in the hotel room. I had six or seven exercises that I did, sometimes just before kick-off in the dressing room. I didn’t care what the others thought or if they laughed. But you saw again that something new, something unknown, led to laughter rather than people asking: “What are you doing there?”
Footballers are used to working only three hours a day. And out of the three hours they are at the training ground they are on their mobiles for half of that.
We have all the money in the world but do not realise how important the body is. A player on average has a seven‑year professional career, 10-15 if everything goes right. You have to do everything possible to be at your maximum.
A lot of players don’t even know what maximum is – for them it is about having fun on the pitch. But there is more to being a professional than that.
In my new role as Arsenal academy manager I will do everything I can to challenge the young players’ mindsets. I want to challenge them so that they are ready to take on new ideas and protect them from being injured, when it comes to their body and soul.
I want to convince them they have to do something to get to the top of the world and I want to be an example for them. For me there wasn’t really a way up but somehow I made it there anyway, because I did everything I possibly could to give me the best chances to succeed. Talent is what you make of your situation.
This is an edited extract from Weltmeister ohne Talent by Per Mertesacker (with Raphael Honigstein), which was released in German on 11 May and published by Ullstein Verlag
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Small distance but sure looked like Young moved his arm towards ball there.
Not 100% sure but assume VAR ref could have told ref to have a look at it on monitor, as happened in Liverpool West Brom game earlier in competition.
Not to do so is poor as that was close as hell and presumably a protocol exists for those where on pitch ref should make the tight big calls.
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No Fellaini no party for the tactical genius Mourinho.
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Southgate’s choice of Jones over Smalling (if true I haven’t checked the squad) does not augur well for England…hopefully they’ll score some goals this time and sneak through as did the teams lower down then them in the tables (the underdogs) in their groups in recent tournaments.
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Mata on at 86 mins.
That is special.
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Come on Chelsea… an OG goal to cap it with a cross from Willian will be so nice!
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Oh well Still my guy OG has won a trophy and is in the France squad so i am glad for him; plus JM lost a final so double nice!!!
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Well winning by the odd goal in one was a tad different that that asked for. good result but it has to be the worst final played. Lots of effort but far too little skill.
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Congratulations OG , and Chelsea, the club have now won one more FA Cups than Arsene Wenger, seriously,,that is quite an achievement, well done to them
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just for interest I looked up news now’s ratings for both teams. After 20 mins, not one rating for either. Arsenal however have about 10 up after 15 mins. Guess it says something v. positive about Arsenal and their fans literacy and demand.
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That was not as dire as I anticipated- two very evenly matched sides with Hazard’s one bit of quality the difference. Oliver spot on with the penalty, the Young handball more dubious as it always is with a player so close. Olivier had a good game and a well deserved 4th Cup medal – how rare to see a footballer enjoying his job.
What has happened to the art of crossing the ball from open play – absolutely dreadful from both sides today.
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The Irony of JM accusing a team of putting 8 or 9 players behind the ball can only be lost to him!
They didn’t deserve to win’
Chelsea win the FA Cup
Manchester United
Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho, speaking to BBC Sport: “I congratulate them because they won but I don’t think they deserved to win.
“I congratulated them. I am Manchester United manager and I have to be respectful, not just because they are my previous club but because they are the opponents today but I think we deserved to win.
“I am quite curious to know what you say or what people write because if my team plays like Chelsea did I can imagine what people would say. I am quite curious.
“It was a bit hard for us to play without Lukaku against a team that defends with nine players. You need that presence. Every defeat hurts but I go home with the feeling we gave everything. No regrets.
“Chelsea are not stupid. They know our team without Lukaku or Fellaini does not have a presence so putting eight or nine players in front of the box they knew they would be dominant in that direct football. We tried everything by other ways but they had a huge block of compacted players.
“The image of the game is that David de Gea did not touch the ball. He touched the ball in the net.”
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as usual according to Jose its not Jose’s fault that his team lost.
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reports in Spain that Santi Cazorla is joining Villarreal
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Is the news that Santi is leaving true? My heart can’t take it. 1st Wenger and now the Little Magician. Gone. They are irreplaceable.
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If Santi can get playing time there, wish him the best.
Have missed him, I believe as a creative force of nature he stands with Thierry Dennis Liam Pires and Geordie Armstrong , an amazing player. One of the best I have seen wear the shirt .
Maybe makes an Alonso appointment more likely?
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God bless Xhaka but even he would agree there is no replacing Santi as a deep-lying midfielder. The Little Magician is irreplaceable.
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marco senna who works for Villarreal said that Santi Cazorla would join them for pre season and if he proves his fitness he would be given a playing contract
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Still believe that Cazorla was wengers true embodiment on the pitch, even more so than Ozil, our fortunes definitely declined when he took a kick in that ill fated CL game.
I have moaned about the teams defending, but with Cazorla, plus Ozil, our team were less reliant on efficient defending, we could afford to be and could scare the crap out of most teams
I do not have the words to express how much I rate and admire Cazorla , he won’t as an Arsenal player be an invincible, double winner or league title winner but stands with any who were
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Andrew,
Both managers left their two best crossers from open and set plays on the bench! £30M a pop in yesterday’s market, so that’s an easy £100M at today’s rate just chilling there in the sunshine kicking their heels.
Mata’s been rusting on the bench for so long no under the Genius that I’ve almost forgotten all the assists that he got for Chelsea against Arsenal, not forgetting his contribution to their CL victory. Given the moves by Salah and KDB to get out and away from the Specialist in working with players signed up to special agents, given the reaction from the Madrid and current Chelsea squad to such special specialness, it’s hard to respect Maya’s choice to sit on that bench from the moment he heard Mourinho was on the way. Perhaps Mata is just one of those players/souls who likes to do as he is told?
Fabregas “ran around a bit” yesterday – with some rest in the build up no PL midweek game etc. Perhaps more so then in any other football match since about 2009 (pre the big hack that ended his Arsenal career), Barca fans must’ve been shocked. Though he was wheezing and running in treacle by the end. He had that usual big pass in a game but was poor on the old crossing. Not Ozil quality.
Willian had enough time to get an assist in last year’s final but as Chelsea had beaten the Genius to the reverse parking manouvre into the bay he wasn’t needed against the most overvalued (nice commissions though!) squad in England. Who are still struggling to replace their last great/top level CB pairing, several seasons later (spending £100M in one window on three LBs didn’t help but oh boy those commissions were sweeeeet!)
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@19SCazorla was indispensable: His injury in Oct 2016 marked the decline of Arsenal. That month AFC was 2nd in the PL (7-W, 2-Ds, 1-L). Without Santi, we ended 5th (23-W, 6-D, 9-L). Without Santi, Wenger couldn’t make the top-4. That was when his enemies pounced. Sad but true.
As Positivas are aware I wrote at least 3 data-filled blogs on the value of Santi Cazorla to Arsenal. In retrospect, even I underestimated his value.
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Just saw Mandy wrote similar sentiments to mine about Santi Cazorla. The significance Mandy is how the end of Santi correlated eith the end of Wenger. No wonder the mainstream media and the bloggers do not discuss this relationship.
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Shotts
Completely agree. We lost Santi and our performances suffered.
Now with Wenger gone santi has also left and we are doomed.
The Wobs have got what they wished for.
They are seemingly happy and pretending that they are happy to get Arteta The Wobs are backing Arteta only to justify there wenger out campaign has bore fruit.But even a lame man can see how can we improve with Arteta who has zero management experience.
I am of the view why couldn’t we persuade Wenger to stay for another couple of years when we know Wenger will still be Pursuing management in the near future.
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I mean to say if Wenger has not retired why not he continues with Arsenal?
Nobody can say Arteta is better than Wenger.
I know the pgmob is Arsenes worst enemy but we know he is a brave man and can fight the odds better than anyone.
I hope we again see Wenger at Arsenal when this new project fails and the Wobs are chanting the new manager out after half of the, season.
I hope VAR is in place after next season as well.
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Hot on heels of our agent talk here yesterday, Ramsey’s agent has apparently suggested they are still waiting on club to offer deal.
Seems incredibly unlikely and not what Wenger says.
Agent in question used to be part of large agency, Base, who at one point at least also represented Wenger (may still do). Iwobi and Elneny still there.
Guy has struck out on his own recently, within last year by looks of it, and has small roster (7) of clients, of whom Ramsey must represent biggest player by factor of about 5.
Next biggest are Forrest of Celtic and Joel Ward of Palace. Ward out of contract now, Forrest with a year left, so either the guy isn’t the best at getting new deals signed or he’s ok with clients running contracts down. Has a Nigerian international, Balogun at Mainz, who is also out of contract. Aside from that three Scottish players at tail end of career, inc Kenny Miller. 2 out of contract; 1, Bury player, with a year left.
Ramsey represents well over 50% of his earning potential at present.
Could really do without another contract saga.
https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/avid-sports-amp-entertainment-group/beraterfirma/berater/4959
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Great work Rich.
I saw that statement as just a way to put pressure on the club after the fans voted Ramsey player of the season.
I think both Ramsey and Wilshere want to stay but will wait to talk to the new manager about his plans and roles.
But I think if Ramsey doesn’t sign a new deal by end July, we must look to sell him. As you say, can do without another contract saga.
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Shard
I agree, but what a ridiculously tough call that is.
My position has shifted a lot since Van Persie, when I felt it was a rotten decision given we received roughly what CL qualification earns and his loss seriously reduced odds of getting it in my opinion. I felt with him we had a shot at title; without it would be a battle for CL which we might not win
I understand now that I was poorly equipped to predict how being in last year would affect player’s performances; whereas club is always in a good, though not perfect, position to make that judgement.
Possibly my number one criterion for knowing if someone is not my cuppa when talking about football is if they insist in these situations there is some clear and obvious choice for the club which serves our interests. In the case of players we want to keep, some way of guaranteeing that happens ( and not by paying the world’s largest wages!).
More money in game, rivals with significantly more money, agents with ever increasing power- it’s getting harder, surely.
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A tough call indeed. But with Van Persie it was different. One, we legitimately had a chance at the title then. Two, he was older and carrying an injury history and so less valuable next season. We held some cards there.
One more year of RVP with Santi and Poldi (Not Giroud I guess) would have been worth it. And I think the club told him that he’ll be staying. Which is why he released that letter making his position (as club captain at that) untenable.
With Ramsey, I really hope he just signs and nips this discussion in the bud. I believe he will. Hopefully soon after Arteta is confirmed.
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