Hey Hodd,

What on earth is going on re the scouting network. Are we getting rid of scouting in favour of a contact book aproach to signing players? I'm dumbfounded by what's going on.

Surely, the way forward for a club like Arsenal if they wish to compete with the elite clubs is to have THE best scouting network, not none at all.

Apparently the players are annoyed that 55 staff have lost their jobs because they were told the 12.5% pay cut was necessary to avoid the loss of jobs. We were the only team in the league to take the pay cut, Arteta was key in convincing the players - what does this do for the trust and confidence between players and senior management.

I think we have a really great manager in Arteta, his attention to detail his professionalism and from what I've read he's incredibly well respected by everyone and quite simply a damn nice bloke. I'm at odds to work out how Arteta's vision for the club (which seems hugely positive and correct) works with what is going on above him?

Ridiculous article.


Also what is being missed here is that the people involved would have been provided redundancy payments too, generous or not I don’t know but far better to get a redundancy payment and move on with your life than a false impression you have a job that doesn’t exist.

Also wasn’t it suggested our staff had become bloated anyway ? EDU commented how bloated the club's coaching staff had become when he joined and he axed loads of people before Christmas including Steve morrow as part of streamlining. This seems to be getting missed. I recall Arsene made some remarks that could be construed as suggesting we had way too many staff.

Feel for the people involved but it’s just realistically dealing with the reality of this horrid thing.

You are wrong on this one TG.

The amount being saved here on salaries is a tiny drop in the ocean compared to the money being squandered on agents fees, greasing the palms of intermediaries etc.

Saving around £2-3m on wages is loose change to a man of Kroenke's wealth and it is all very well saying that they will get redundancy payments but where do they get another job in the current environment.

The Krankies could have of at least waited until the dust settled a bit on the Covid thing. In a year's time things could look a whole lot different.

The gloss has been taken off the elation of a cup final win by ill-timed redundancies that reflect badly on the club.

It's morally indefensible and the timing stinks.

You can say Kroenke should have paid their salaries but he doesn’t put money into the club.

You can say Mesut Özil should pay it, but he’s contractually bound and already refused a pay cut.

You’ve already given the players a pay cut they agree to so therefore what are Arsenal supposed to do?

Oh step back investing in the team and don’t acquire new players or pay agents. Well that will definitely mean these people won’t have jobs in future.

This is happening up and down the country, what makes football think of itself any differently.

I'm sure these names are not unknown but some interesting ones among them. Wish they had more defenders.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKjyx0j7R5E&t=29s

Nails it on it’s head.

https://shewore.com/2020/08/06/arsenal- ... explained/

Just being curious about what exactly was said can have me be labeled homophobic.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/53678416

Have another go at this.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/deadspin.c ... 623209/amp

Mustafi will probably miss the start of the season though.

On a little more serious note, looking beyond the height of our recent (and rumoured) signings in central defense, it seems like all three of Mari, Saliba and Gabriel have a reputation of being very comfortable with the ball. This is possibly a big part of Arteta's strategy, and a reason for why he extended the contract of Luiz despite his uneaven defensive performances. Our ability to play out from the back was one of many things that improved under Arteta compared to Emery's reign.

As you said, you feel for the individuals affected, but this article makes a lot of good points.

I know no more than anyone else on this

Saw this this morning......"Chelsea have prioritised the signing of £60m-rated Uruguay defender Jose Gimenez, 25, from Atletico Madrid after being priced out of a move from West Ham's England midfielder and centre-back Declan Rice"

That sums up how craxy it is to shop in the Prem for english talent. I like Rice but he plays for West Ham. Gimenez has played champions league finals and is at the top end of La Liga with Atletico in often the meanest defence in the league and has nearly 60 caps for his country - but Chelsea are going for him at £60m because they are PRICED OUT of a move for Rice!

Crazy

But do you?

I have a soft spot for Fulham, but it would have been something else to see Brentford back in the top division. What a great effort they made. Last time we played them in the League was May 1947 when we won by the only goal of the game scored by Paddy Sloan. Sloan must have been the definition of have boots will travel, including a spell at Milan. Read his Wiki entry!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paddy_Sloan

Mean

According to Matt Law, Aubameyang is close to signing a new contract until 2023.

And Willian turned down a 2 year deal at £140k per week with Chelsea to sign a 3 year deal at £100k per week with us. One of my fears with Willian was paying him upwards of £200k a week. I'd feel a lot more comfortable if that is his wage

Back in the 80s I helped out in the Miners Strike and was given a Coal Not Dole tee shirt by one of the mining families from Kent. In those days I was a guy who had to run around in a shower to get wet - a sort of shorter version of Peter Crouch. The shirt fitted well and I was proud to wear it. A couple of years ago I attempted to try it on for old times sake. Sadly I looked like I was gas mark ten pregnant.

Arteta is going to have a tough choice once Mustafi is back from injury.

It happens. I took up running in April - I was working from home and not really seeing any people because of corona, so I needed something to occupy myself with (and I'd been a lazy b****** for far too long). After going on a run three times a week for about three months I finally climbed the scales at the end of June and found out I'd gained five pounds.

Doesn’t sound right Rich. Those figures, if correct, would mean Willian getting £14,560,000 in two years at Chelsea (£140,000 x 52 = £7,280,000 x 2 = £14,560,000). At Arsenal he would be getting £15,600,000 in three years (£100,000 x 52 = £5,200,000 x 3 = £15,600,000).

That represents a difference of £1,040,000 more that he’d be getting at Arsenal for staying a year longer. He could make up that difference by joining an American or Chinese club paying him £20,000 a week on leaving Chelsea in two years. In reality, I’m sure he would be able find a club somewhere that would be willing to give him appreciably more than twenty grand a week in a couple of years time (when he’d still be 33, albeit on the verge of 34 as his birthday is 9th August). Hence your figures just don’t sound right.

Bernard I agree. On the face of it..it doesn’t seem to make sense but there may be other aspects to the deal not reported....such as....win and trophy bonuses, appearance targets, the security of an extra years employment with full medical insurance, personal rights clauses like percentage of shirt sales, an extra year of pension contributions..... I’m kinda making these up a bit as I go along But you get the drift.

The gooner now seems keen to promote internet and social media hysteria

https://www.onlinegooner.com/articles/view/5300

Few journalists saying AMN has been told he can leave the club. Whilst he may be a player we can generate a decent fee for there are a lot of players who should be leaving before him and I’d actually be against him leaving as beyond Saka I think he’s the best academy player we’ve got. Seems to have flipped a switch with his work with Arteta.

If he does leave the price needs to be £25m minimum. Kyle Walker peters is going to Southampton for £15m. If we sell AMN for anything close to £15m I’d be fuming

Ha. . I certainly don't. They still fit me but would be entirely decorative these days. I'd pull half the muscles in my body if I tried to play football these days.

Muscle is heavier than fat, Haz......

Hi Rich,

He shouldn't be leaving, he's homegrown and he's versatile. He's quick, athletic, technically adept and quite strong. The only negative was in his head but he seems to have sorted himself out now. He has the makings of a better right back than Bellerin.

Maybe it was the 15 donuts you eat at the end of every run, Haz.

Well I had to reward myself for running, right?

I'm torn on Maitland-Niles. On the one hand I'd really want him to stay, he's a good young player who is versatile, and obviously being an academy player is a plus. On the other hand, he doesn't seem to have a preferred position and while he has excellent physical qualities I'm not sure he's skillful enough on the ball to play full back or wing back consistently. With his pedigree hes probably worth about 20-25 million too, and he's 23 soon so certainly not a kid anymore.

Absolutely.

In terms of his ability as a fullback/wingback I like his pace, going forward and recovering. Obviously he's not a natural defender but then neither is Bellerin.

Yeah, I definitely wouldn't argue much with anyone wanting him to stay. He was excellent against Chelsea in the final, and his pace and work rate seems made for the way Arteta wants to play.

Anyway, speaking of departures, some apparently reliable sources in Italy are saying Fiorentina are close to signing Torreira.

I could definitely see that one happening, although could Fiorentina afford a decent transfer fee for him?

In the current climate I can't see anyone (like Brighton) paying £20m+ for him as a RB unless they see him as a central midfielder to build a team around and I don't think they could possibly gamble on that given the limited opportunities he had in midfield.

I don't want him sold off cheaply.

I think the Mail have said we are asking 30.

'Fattening the curves' are you ? That's like when I get on the scale, it has a message that says "One at a time"

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/08/06/poli ... index.html

Haven't seen much of Mari in an Arsenal shirt to say one way or another but this is why we got him.