Raul, Vinai and Others: Our Home Address is…. The Arsenal!

17 thoughts on “Raul, Vinai and Others: Our Home Address is…. The Arsenal!”

• Well said, PE. We should do much better with what we have got and the big trousers should be earning their wages much better. We don’t need a big sugar/oil daddy but just capable managers who pick the right team manager and use the money the club generates wisely. I reckon now that the club have realised that a top four finish/CL participation cannot just be achieved by spending money on one or two top strikers but needs a clever strategy based on multiple facets, we may see some changes soon. Let’s hope so.

• PE, I watched the Nigeria game with one eye yesterday and was not too impressed with the team. Iwobi also looked isolated and a bit lacklustre at times. What did you make of it?

• Agree with you, TA, about the Nigerian team. Particularly their attacking play which has been uninspiring. Iwobi is finding it so difficult developing that guile essential for the final balls. We have a prolific goal scorer in Henry Onyekuru (Everton on loan). The coach might use him in the next match wide left and I suspect he might end up displacing Iwobi.

• I will keep an eye out for Onyekuru, PE. Thanks.

• PE, it is about mentality. We do not pressure our players to do well.
  There is no incentive to win, and there is no reduction in KPI when you don’t do as well.

  The problem is that the team is too used to Wenger’s tactics and it seemed that if someone gave the lads a good kick up their a** it will wake up their brains and do better.

  Money doesn’t buy success. Hard work does win games.

• njk, on the contrary I think money well spent can buy success on the field.

• You’ve outlined a serious issue well there, PE. One reason I didn’t quite find the departure of Sven Mislintat funny was the fact he had the potential to bring us good quality at low fees and high sell-on prices. Auba was an exception, being a quick fix to bring us success which will have the multiplier effect of building the profiles of every player, old and young for commercial purposes. When we failed to win the Europa league cup, I thought it set us back with the progress of some of the youngsters who benefit more from winning trophies side by side the big players.

  We’ll have to start again; get in Tierney, Saliba and close a deal for a big player (I am reading Zaha, Carrasco) and sell those who need to go. In a few years, I want to believe the likes of Guendouzi, Saliba and said Tierney will be real steals, but we need to have some success to bring it home. Time for Kroenke to take a chance on this football club by shooting out from his personal fortunes as a Loan to the club. If we get back into CL and win one trophy (at least), I am certain the club can repay the loan and retain the self sustaining model. About £100m will do it and make Emery go out boldly for targets, without fear of a challenge from rival sides.

• TA, I will make some excuses for the Nigerian team until the knock-out stages. The Nigeria v Guinea game was said to have been played in extremely hot conditions and the team was under instructions to conserve energy so as to avoid burn-out. Besides, being the second game (after winning our first), the onus was on the opposition to come out to win it, which they didn’t. So, the second game seemed like a cagey affair which Nigeria won by a lone goal.

  Iwobi does need to improve and take the offer to seize the No. 10 role from Mikel Obi. He still frustrates at times and you wonder if his uncle’s (Austin Okocha) reputation isn’t weighing on his shoulders. Personally, I expect more from him and hope he will up his game. The final group game will offer a chance to shine, for some of the fringe players like said Onyekwuru (and John Ogu, Jamiu Collins and Samuel Kalu, the Bordeaux winger who passed out in training on suspicion of heat exhaustion).

• PE, well documented squad overhaul failure stories like Everton most recently, where almost the whole squad is new, cost their then manager the sack.

  Bottom line is: we need to invest with care and get the right players and get the mentality of the squad overhauled.

• “Bottom line is: we need to invest with care and get the right players and get the mentality of the squad overhauled” ….@nkj is same as my “money well spent..:

• Eris, you got it right. With our net spend higher than Pool’s they can only be spending more money gross because they are player trading much better than us.
  We are where we are mainly because of poor player trading and contract management. We were unable to capitalize on the ridiculous rise in player value. In other words they failed to respond quickly to the times so are now trying to make up for lost ground.

• PE, you nailed it there. Sounds about right.

• Thanks Eris. It is quite normal at this stage of an international tournament for a game to be below par, and yes the heat will have played a role too. Here is hoping for better games ahead.

• Ah! We just played our last group game against Madagascar and lost 2-0, disappointingly. The team was exposed by the supposed first timers and minnows; they were quicker and more aggressive, from what I read (couldn’t see it).

  The fans will be on the case of those who were selected for the game, for sure. After a disappointing season for my club, the expectation of reprieve from country may not come, even as Nigeria qualifies for the next phase as runners-up. ☹️

• The new adidas’ kit is superb.. I might buy the home kit.

  To the Gunners, please announce the new signings since the kit is launched.

• Martinelli is officially unveiled as a Gunner.
  After a few months of news, he is at last official.
  More to come.

  Who else is your choice of incoming signings?

• New Post 🙂