The second step to any successful rebuild is identifying the areas of the squad that need improving and bringing in the correct personnel in order to do so. For Arsenal, this hasn’t always been straight forward, for a number of reasons. Although large sums have been spent, investment has often been put into positions that […]
As the summer transfer window heats up, the inevitable rumour mill begins to spin. Like every Premier League club, Arsenal must deal with the gossip about who may come to the Emirates and who may leave. For fans, the yo-yo effect is exciting, if not a little old. We love the idea of world-class players […]
There’s something about him that I cannot quite explain.While Bukayo Saka steals the show with his flashy runs and moments of magic, another youngster is quietly stamping his mark on the team.Since his introduction to the starting XI against Chelsea last winter, Emile Smith Rowe has been a mainstay for Mikel Arteta and one of […]
The Emile Smith Rowe saga is trundling along, and it seems to be bringing out the usual contradictions in the Arsenal fanbase, on social media at least. Perhaps some of us should step back and consider the irony of simultaneously demanding a Maddison, a Grealish or an Aouar on the one hand whilst declaring faux […]
I do find this time of year, as the transfer speculation mounts, and the angst heightens amusing and bemusing in equal measure. I used to get dragged in far more than I do these days. Now I just sit back and enjoy the ride, knowing that there is nothing I can do to influence proceedings […]
Undoubtedly, Mikel Arteta has made mistakes this season, but is his most costly not utilising the versatility of Bukayo Saka during Kieran Tierney’s absence? When the Spaniard first arrived at the club, it was a familiar sight seeing Saka maraud up and down the left-hand side of Arsenal’s attack, often overlapping his winger to get […]
This was my column for Sun Football yesterday. The Morning after the woeful night before I knew I would be asked to articulate my views on Arsenal’s situation and that of the manager after last night’s limp exit from Europe’s secondary competition. Not a task to relish. Having already selected a weakened team in defence […]
I recently watched “The Dawn Wall”, a superb documentary about one on the most epic sporting ventures of recent times. A truly inspiring watch.Although I’m not into free-climbing at all, I found it quite inspirational and started thinking about the two main psychological aspects of this adventure: belief and hardship.The goal that these two young […]
Like a Panther POSITIVES, NEEDS and HOPES That was one incredibly well coached game. Slavia insisted on playing out from the back and were fine in the first phase. Second phase their midfield couldn’t connect. I watched, paused, re-wound the TV and saw what was happening. Arteta had set us up to tempt them. To […]
Not many Arsenal fans across the globe would have envisaged their beloved club to be sitting in 9th place with 9 games remaining, especially after the joys of a 14th FA cup triumph back in August. So what went wrong? Individual errors and refereeing decisions are valid points but Arsenal’s biggest downfall has lied with […]
