What are Arteta and Edu Doing?!

TotalArsenal

It is a bit quiet with the good sort of transfers at Arsenal right now. Should we be worried?

I guess it all depends on what happens in the next few days. There is no doubt Arsenal are in negotiations with a few clubs but as long as there is no real pressure it can be hard to clinch a deal, unless of course crazy money is being offered. Negotiations need a firm wall, or ideally a tight corner, and the TW deadline date usually does the trick. We need the now or never moment, with clubs needing the money and Arsenal outbidding any competition. So let’s see what happens.

Was it a good idea to let a number of good squad players leave already this month? I guess it also depends on how the TW will finish. The club can now focus fully on strengthening the team which is a good thing. But if we fail to buy a couple of quality additions, then it will not look good and we could be left with an underresourced team.

It could of course be that Arteta is planning to promote a few young players and has simply been making space for them. Let’s wait and see and trust the management.

Arteta is looking for players who can play his sort of football: good stamina, hard workers, at ease with receiving and passing the ball in tight spaces and being strong team players. I think it is fair to say that all those who have left recently are missing one or more of these vital attributes.

I also think that it is the right thing to do to let those players go, as they are unlikely to make it now at Arsenal, and their football lives are short.

So let’s sit back, relax and see what will happen in the next 80 hours or so.

TotalArsenal.

80 thoughts on “What are Arteta and Edu Doing?!”

  • Thanks Total. I’ll spend the next 80 hours with that lovely lass from Bingen in the back ground calming my hopes and expectations, tho’ I suspect Mikel was in the States to do more than discuss his own contract extension.
    Don’t forget to vote for our Denis in the BBC poll for best ever number 10 in EPL history. No one even comes close to him.

  • I am actually pretty calm about it as I think our best window in a long time was the last one. I don’t believe all the players we are being linked with are actual targets either. Headlines like Newcastle beating us to a midfielder that we never even made a bid for are a bit tedious but I suppose it gets people clicking.
    We have done a good job of thinning down the wages and making space. I would like a striker, midfielder and centre back who can also play right back. But I would rather us not panic buy just to fill slots (which is how we got in this position in the first place). If the right player is not available then just a loan with no obligation to buy would be ideal.

  • With Maseille having a potential transfer ban we could be getting Guendouzi back at the end of the season. Him and Saliba could well be the 2 players we are missing. If they both come back with the right attitudes and are willing to fight to stay they are perfect. Both have all the other attributes you mentioned and also have experience playing in the europa league, something that is missing from our squad at the moment.

  • If Arsenal fail to strengthen the team i am comfortably sure they will finish exactly where they finished last season.
    The premiership is getting thouger every year, the gap between the bottom teams and the middle teams is not to wide.
    Most of the bottom teams have sreghtened this widow, Arsenal could not beat the bottom team Burnley at home i wonder who they are going to beat as they are all getting better

  • I think, Stuart, there is a plan, and yes it is good to listen to Hildegard – the BBC had a week long thing going on called Singen mit Bingen recently – and let it all come to you.

    Will vote for the Iceman indeed.

  • That’s a sensible way of looking at it, Wedge. Mistakes can be very expensive so let’s get it right indeed.

    Guendouzi doesn’t seem to fit personality wise but I am all for giving him another chance. He may just fit better in a French environment.

  • I just looked at some pictures from the training camp in Dubai and it was great to see all the lads looking so fit and refreshed as they got stuck into their routines with some sun on their backs, it was also lovely to see Jackie Wilshere right in middle of it as well, but one picture struck me and it was a smart piece of opportunism from the club photographer, it was Mikel Arteta sitting on a football and around him were 5 of our Academy lads who’d gone out there to make up the numbers and hopefully impress the manager sitting on the ground listening to his pearls of wisdom, I actually think that Arteta gets more out of our Academy players than anyone and hopefully our brilliant coaches can produce some more top quality products that he can mould into Arsenal stars of the future….

  • It is a lovely photo, Kev. And what do you think of the space age entry hatch onto the training ground? Only in Dubai.
    Singen mit Bingen, Total. Love it.

  • Hi Stu, yeah Dubai is like the Tokyo of the Middle East, it’s like a developer/architects dream, I wonder what brilliant designs Frank Lloyd Wright could have brought us with that freedom to create and design?

    Total, the transfer market is a right turn off for me now, I wanna see if anymore of our youngsters can make that step into the big time on the heels of Charlie Patino, nothing rocks my boat more than the thought of a winning Arsenal team full of home grown players, it reminds me of 1970/71 and 1988/89, where we won the league via our youth development.

  • I know that given the opportunity that Arteta is more likely to give minutes, if need be, to Charlie Patino rather than he is to Jack Wilshere, mainly because Charlie is the future and I can understand why, but just a bit of me can’t help but wonder that if Jack doesn’t find a club in the next few weeks if Mikel might offer him a short term deal just to bulk out the squad.

    I mean could Jack come on with 15/20 minutes remaining in games and just give us something different even if it’s just his experience, I’m sure the fans would love to see him in an Arsenal shirt again even if it’s just for a short, fond farewell.

  • I agree Kev, in fact I came on to post an identical comment. I still think of him as “Our Jack” and I feel he would be thrilled to display his skills on a six month contract. Plus he would undoubtedly be well received by the crowd.

  • Yes, I feel a streak of romanticism towards our Jack. Let’s let him loose on the spuds. He loves that lot.
    Here’s a song for the moment…

  • I am Total, I cannot deny that at all, and you are right there’s nothing wrong with that… 😀

    Yes GN5 ‘Our Jackie Boy’ indeed…

    Stu, I have that single in my extensive collection of rarely used 45’s – the short version…
    I really need to invest in a record player again…
    Some serious hair in that vid,
    …

  • Yes, Kev, I admit to a bit of hair envy. Let’s get Jack back, doing it again, even if only for a swan song.
    The little portable record players on the market now have some exceptional sound quality.

  • If the stuff on social media is true then Mason Greenwood is probably finished at Man Utd.

  • Crazy story, to be honest. Hopefully, he still has a bright future to pursue; deadly feet.

    In other news, Elneny will stay to the closing date of the AFCON, having qualified for the semi-final with Egypt. Salah scored an equaliser and then laid on the winner to beat Morocco 2-1 today.

  • Why not offer Elneny a one year extension to his contract with an additional one year option?

    He’s a good club man and I’m sure he’d love to stay…

  • Total I am well and truly bored to death with all the transfer nonsense, I do hope that Edu and Co hold their nerve and if they can’t get the players they want don’t go down the Denis Suarez route of bringing in a body, any old body, just to keep the idiots on social media in check.

    I’d rather wait until the summer window and do our business then, we have a good squad as it is despite the issues up front and it’s a good enough squad to get top four.

  • Patience is Golden, Kev. A rare quality among the fanbase, but you have it, oh tea slurping guru.

    I think we will get an attacker as we need cover for Laca. But we will see.

  • Hope so Total, but I’m not gonna lose it if we don’t, I shall just put the kettle on and make myself a cup of chai.

  • While I’d wish to see us a bit more active, I don’t agree that not getting in any one new this window will derail our top 4 aspirations; and it isn’t mere tough talking.

    Of all the players we let go, none is a regular, sure-starter, save Auba. Even he hasn’t featured since early December and we’ve done well until the January difficulties which resulted in the defeats we suffered. If we can get a striker or midfielder in before the window closes, and on our/agreed terms, great! If not, cool things and do the business in the summer.

    Critics only need to look at what has happened and could still happen to our wage bill.

  • …. And the old argument against him was that “his teams never do well”. That’s the second time now…

  • Tick tock, I can’t believe they are not going to do something to shore up the squad in the front or midfield. My wish is that they play Pepe through the middle.
    I was expecting 2 moves.. a loan and a buy.

  • Looking more like the fat lady won’t sing, TA. Surely, if we were going to be getting someone, there will be hints by now, barely 6 hours to deadline. We will be light in midfield and we could use another striker, with Auba out the door. But, like like I surmised, only serious bout of injuries can derail us from the path we were on in December, 2021.

    Let’s hope Arteta, Edu and the Kroenkes have a plan.

  • Eris, unfortunately whatever plan they has must have fallen apart. I have never known a transfer window where we so little action. Strangely enough I’m an a good place and will be a happy camper if it means that we play our younger players and they get us into the top six positions.

  • Well the saying is, It aint over till the fat lady sings….

    But you are probably right. I am not worried at all about midfield, with four good central midfielders for two positions, we should be fine (xhaka, partey, Sambi and Elneny) for the rest of the season.

    Up front is a different story. If Auba goes on loan which seems likely and desirable, it would leave us with Laca and Eddie. I dont rate the latter in Arteta’s system and Laca will have to play a lot of games for us. An injury and we are snickled. So I keep hoping for a loan deal CF…

  • Oops I messed up and showed POAK as the away team and they were if fact the home team. Please accept my apologies – I’ve voided the game so we are down to five games for last weekend.

  • Well it turned out to be a very tough weekend for predictions as the results will show:-
    For the weekend:-
    Ist with 1/5 GN5, Total, Eris, Kev & OX10 so we all get .8 for most correct predictions and 1.8 points in total.
    6th Madhu with 0/5
    “”””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””
    Season to date:-

    1st Eris – 118.39
    2nd OX10 -105.66
    3rd Madhu – 91.66
    4th Total – 90.06
    5th GN5 – 89.73
    6th Kev – 89.93
    “””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””
    Points behind the leader:-

    OX10 – 13.13
    Madhu – 26.73
    Total – 28.33
    GN5 – 28.66
    Kev – 29.46
    “””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””

  • Next weekend selection are another mixed bag.

    Burnley v Watford *
    Dundee v Ross County
    Livingston v Aberdeen *
    Everton v Brentford
    Peterborough v Q.P.R. *
    Blackpool v Bristol City

  • So sorry about that Total you and I both predicted a draw but everybody else predicted a home win – so I was forced to void the game. It cost you 5 missed points and me 3 points – but it was the fair thing to do.

  • Yes they are Total once we move away from our familiar PL teams it’s always trickier. It’s along time between PL games – I hope that it has given Arteta quality time to spend with his squad.

  • The Greenwood situation is yet another indication that some of these kids feel entitled and above the law. The pictures of the girl are heartbreaking and if it can be proved that he was her attacker then he deserves to get the maximum the law can throw at him and leave his career as a footballer in tatters.

  • Yeah GN5, I think they want Arsenal to pay his wages, or a big part of it. Auba seems to be happy to accept less salary but the poor Catalans cannot even afford that.

  • GN5, I’ve seen the pics and I’ve heard some audio of Greenwood (it seems) and it’s not good.
    If proved as I suspect it will be, I think he’s finished at the top.

    Aubameyang seems to be joining Barcelona for 18 months if Ornstein can be believed so that episode is over it seems.

  • GN5, you’re a good sport; I guess that’s the right thing to do, voiding that game. In addition, it wasn’t Panathanaikos, but Panelotikos that played against Aris. But it’s all good and adds to the new knowledge about other European leagues and the lower league participants in the UK.

    It was quite a dismal outing for all. 😎😅

  • About Greenwood, it is such a shame for such a talented young man with a bright future ahead of him.

    I only got to see the pics (even took in an Audio tape of (one of) the time(s) he assaulted the lady. Not even the power of the Man United hierarchy can make a good prison sentence go away…unless, of course, the victim prefers a settlement…. I imagine.

  • Burnley v Watford * D 1-1
    Dundee v Ross County A
    Livingston v Aberdeen * A 1-2
    Everton v Brentford H
    Peterborough v Q.P.R. * A 1-2
    Blackpool v Bristol City H

  • That’s it, Aubameyang is now a Barcelona player…

    Now Arteta has a right job on his hands because the Arsenal social media knives will be out for him and Edu even if the supporters who go to the games still broadly support the manager.

    Wolves (a) is a huge game now, not that it wasn’t anyway but now it’s even bigger.

  • Yep looks like it’s a done deal, Kev. I feel relief, a panther amongst wolves who lost his bite, discipline and pride. The last half year was so poor. Barcelona are mad to take him, but I guess they are desperate.

  • Now i need to sell him on fifa. Good riddance. Glad it didn’t drag on like the ozil saga. A lot of people are going to complain about the free transfer stuff but the reality is we’ve saved around 27.3M (given the wages he was on).

    A bit bare bones at the moment and i would have liked an arshavin like signing to boost the squad but the reality is we cut a lot of deadwood. We only have 17 games left and no cup competitions so we don’t need 3rd string LB’s or a RB/CB that wasn’t chosen over White.

    Nketiah and laca have to try their guts out because they are in the shopping window. If they perform it equals more wages for them at their new club.

    Personally I’d like us to experiment with martinelli or pepe through the middle.

    I wanted Isak but not for 75M. 45-50M looks about right given his age and scoring record over the past 2 years. 75M is the amount you play for a player that is going to tear shit up immediately. Isak is promising but not at that level yet.

    Cut some more deadwood in the summer (cedric, laca, nketiah, guendouzi, bellerin, mari, runarrson, nelson, xhaka, torreira, leno (a shame, i like him but he’s too good to be a backup), elneny, and continue to build.

  • Wow, so i fired blanks, no surprises there. Here you go for this week. TA you really have a chance to leapfrog me.
    Burnley v Watford * – 0-1
    Dundee v Ross County H
    Livingston v Aberdeen * 1-2
    Everton v Brentford H
    Peterborough v Q.P.R. * 1-2
    Blackpool v Bristol City D

  • So finally the TW came to an end with no Incomings. On Auba looks like the contract was torn and hence Barca in no hurry to unveil him. He is free agent now and so not bound by TW.
    I have been consistent with my view and said it during Summer. Our Center Mid is very weak, we are either a Xhaka Red Card (I would wager two in the remaining 17 matches) or Partey’s hammy from a disaster. Not integrating AMN last season and giving him more mins first half of the season was a worry and selling him early in Jan without planning for someone to come in criminal negligence. The absence of credible center mid is not just in number, but also in quality of the teams forward play. We resort to wings more and that makes it easier for opponents to counter our attack. Center Mid will be the primary reason of us not finishing in Top 6 which is now a definite possibility.
    Arteta’s man/squad management is definitely under the microscope. The sheer number of players that have been alienated doesn’t bode well for the rest of the squad and also future recruits. Non Negotiables is a must, but there has to be a better way to manage fallout of any such non negotiables being breached. The way other squad members like Pepe, Eddie, Elneny and Nuno would be handled (explicitly leaving out cedric as he would be treated well) through the rest of the season remains to be seen.

  • @madhu

    It’s not all on the club. Player’s agents are good at leaking news to either force the club’s hand or paint them in a bad light. Then it can become a bit of back of forth. Journalists are jackals too and thrive on this sort of stuff. It’s not easy but it happens with a lot of clubs. Last thing we needed was another drawn out Ozil situation.

    We still have Xhaka, Partley, Lokonga, and Elneny. Not ideal but definitely not the end of the world. Especially when we don’t have any cup games to contend with. They are part of the squad that got us this far which is probably more than most of us expected.

  • Odegaard can also play CM if needed against some off the less dominating midfields. This then means that we can play quicker football through the middle. Bit sad we got nobody in but it is still better than getting the wrong guy (again).

  • OZ and Wedge, iam really talking about getting anyone in TW. That’s not all my point, but the Squad management is a glaring deficiency. In the Center Mid, we had to hold on to the numbers we had for the remainder. We cannot trust the midfield with Xhaka and his reputation. Iam sorry i don’t have any trust that for the next 17 games we will have our reliable center mid. Its not just about numbers, but our entire playing system changes if we don’t have either one of Xhaka and Partey. I don’t trust Xhaka to go for the next 17 games without a red card. Same with Partey’s legs and that’s why Squad management becomes every important. Don’t get me wrong i have no issues with Auba leaving and not getting anyone in the TW. By the way the top two sides strengthen their already strong SQUADS. League is all about SQUAD and not first 11.

  • I def agree but it’s a process to get the deadwood out that isn’t good enough. We saw it in the summer and hopefully we’ll see it again. It isn’t good enough but Arteta is creating the squad he wants rather than the leftovers from previous managers – players like elneny, kolo, torreira etc. that we have been stuck with due to large wages.

    I don’t trust Xhaka either and I want him gone in the summer but at least Partley can partner with Lokonga if needed. He needs more game time anyway. We just need to cross our testicles that we don’t pick up a few injuries.

    I’m very glad we didn’t pick up Melo. Last thing we need is another player with a bad attitude.

  • Too much of a fine line that we are treading. Its a huge risk to take and mitigations aren’t in place. Sure he wants his players, but there is a way to still manage it. Watch this space till Summer to the way Arteta treats Pepe. We cannot ignore this trait and spare a thought for any young player wanting to come to Arsenal.

  • My selections for the next group of game are spread over several days – so I thought I would get them in early.

    Wolves v Arsenal *
    Liverpool v Leicester
    Chelsea Ladies v Arsenal Ladies.
    Manchester United v Southampton *
    Everton v Leeds
    Villarreal v Real Madrid *

  • Our first team can beat any team but if there are covid cases, injuries or red cards we will suffer. Best that we got new players that can improve the team but it was still very good that we got rid of so many deadwood harsh as it may seem and that will impact our future ability to buy new players. Jan TW is a very difficult to get good players that are not over-priced. Arteta has to rotate his players more like what Pep is doing to keep oft used players fresh and less used players sharp which is a fine balancing act.

  • Burnley v Watford * 1-1
    Dundee v Ross County H
    Livingston v Aberdeen * 1-1
    Everton v Brentford H
    Peterborough v Q.P.R. * 1-1
    Blackpool v Bristol City A

  • Wolves v Arsenal * 0-13
    Liverpool v Leicester H
    Chelsea Ladies v Arsenal Ladies. 0-8
    Manchester United v Southampton * 1-1
    Everton v Leeds A
    Villarreal v Real Madrid * 1-1

  • Burnley v Watford………… Draw (1-1
    Dundee v Ross County…. Draw
    Livingston v Aberdeen….. Away (1-2)
    Everton v Brentford……… Home
    Peterborough v Q.P.R….. Away (0-2)
    Blackpool v Bristol City…. Draw

  • According to the stats, Arsenal have released 16 players, the most of anyone in the Premier League, most going out on loan but they’re still outgoings, with the possibility of a few more as the Football League clubs have got another week or so to do business.

  • Wolves v Arsenal * 1-0
    Liverpool v Leicester H
    Chelsea Ladies v Arsenal Ladies. A
    Manchester United v Southampton * 2-1
    Everton v Leeds H
    Villarreal v Real Madrid * 1-2

  • Burnley v Watford * A (0-0)
    Dundee v Ross County H
    Livingston v Aberdeen * A 1-3)
    Everton v Brentford D
    Peterborough v Q.P.R. * H (2-1)
    Blackpool v Bristol City H

  • Wolves v Arsenal * A (1-3)
    Liverpool v Leicester H
    Chelsea Ladies v Arsenal Ladies. A
    Manchester Unied v Southampton * D 2-2)
    Everton v Leeds D
    Villarreal v Real Madrid * H 2-1)

  • Burnley v Watford * 1-0
    Dundee v Ross County A
    Livingston v Aberdeen * 0-2
    Everton v Brentford H
    Peterborough v Q.P.R. * 0-1
    Blackpool v Bristol City A

  • OX10, thanks. I am still hoping Pepe comes good. I see him as another panther amongst the wolves but maybe he will flourish as CF. He works hard and is still on the young side.

    How are you coping with the virus?

  • Wolves v Arsenal * 0-2
    Liverpool v Leicester H
    Chelsea Ladies v Arsenal Ladies. D
    Manchester United v Southampton * 1-1
    Everton v Leeds 0-1
    Villarreal v Real Madrid * 2-2

  • Wolves v Arsenal * A 0-1
    Liverpool v Leicester H
    Chelsea Ladies v Arsenal Ladies. D
    Manchester United v Southampton * D 2-2
    Everton v Leeds H
    Villarreal v Real Madrid * D 1-1

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