Arsenal stars “put bodies on the line for quest of glory” for club AND country

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Bukayo Saka has been managing a long term achilles injury
William Saliba managing a long term back injury
Declan Rice has clearly not been 100% for some month
Jurrien Timber battled back from a groin injury only to break down again
Ben White’s body has finally given up on him after years of playing through injury

This is not the sign of weak, injury prone players. It is the sign of mentality monsters who put their bodies on the line in a quest for glory for club AND country

On one hand fans of England and France and some gutter journalists have criticised Rice, Saka and Saliba for putting club above country. They continued to play through injury rather than “do a Romero” and end their Premier League season early to enable them to go under the knife and be ready for the World Cup.

These guys wanted to win the Premier League and Champions League, and in Timber and White’s cases they ended up sacrificing their place on the plane to North America to help The Arsenal.

Then you have the other side of the coin. Arsenal fans (mainly from Nigeria) complaining that these guys should not have gone to the World Cup. That after dragging Arsenal through to the league title, they should have had their surgeries and declared themselves unfit for their country. The 3 months off would have been more than enough to get themselves fit for the new season.

But the fact that Saka, Rice and Saliba all went to the World Cup despite their injury issues, and performed for their countries, shows again how they are different mentally to some soft lads. After securing Premier League gold, they wanted to replicate their success for their country.

Take Saliba for example.

Back in January, he could have played up. Demanded surgery on the back. His 4-5 months would have meant missing out on Arsenal’s run in, but would have seen him be fully fit for the World Cup. Would Arsenal have won the league without him? Probably not. Would France have been in the World Cup final if he was fully fit? Maybe.

Likewise, come the end of the season, Saliba could have decided to get surgery. The 4-5 months out would have seen him return in around October. Just a handful of Premier League games missed. Instead, he kept playing through the pain, with injections, in an attempt to drive France to glory. And he was so close.

Saliba kept himself going for club and country. The result is he will now miss half of next season. But I do not blame him. I praise him – as I do with Saka, Rice and all the others.

They could have all sacrificed Arsenal, but instead they sit there with Premier League medals. And they could have sacrificed their country, but with World Cup’s every 4-years this would have been unreasonble.

So they all might miss the first half of next season. But they do so being Premier League champions and having given the World Cup a good, honest go. At no point have the put club above country or vice versa. They tried to do it all and ultimately it will be to the detriment of their own bodies.

What Arsenal, and England, and France and Holland now need to do is work on a way to better manage these players.

For Arsenal it is about signing the likes of John Stones or Ezri Konsa alongside Bruno Guimaraes to ensure that we do not need to rush these guys back. And to take minutes off them when they are back.

For their countries, it is important that they manage their players game time. Just because they are fit, does not mean they should be selected. Leave them out of the first couple of squads when they return to fitness. Give them the 2-weeks off to allow their weary bodies to recover. It will not affect their qualification chances for the Euro’s.

There is nothing more frustrating then a player being out for 4-6 weeks, gets himself fit and then is back playing for his country before he has even returned for his club. It is just poor management by the country. That extra 2-weeks would allow for further recovery, and reduce the risk of an injury come major tournament time.

As for the criticism of Rice, Saka, Saliba, et al, we should actually be praising them. These guys have stuck it on the line for club and country. Risked their learn term health and fitness. And due to their mentality their club won the Premier League and their countries made the World Cup semi-finals.

These are mentality monsters. And we need more of them!

Keenos

Is signing versatile players really an Arteta flaw?

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This morning when scrolling through Twitter, I spat out my tea at something I read:

Arsene Wenger built a dynasty on signing players and converting them into something else – Emmanuel Petit from central defender to defensive midfielder, Lauren from defensive midfielder to right back, Thierry Henry to winger back to a striker and Robert Pires from attacking midfielder to winter. I would not say Mikel Arteta has a similar reputation, and to claim it is his biggest flaw is simply disengenous.

Now before people claim “pile on” and “ignore social media”, it was tweeted out by an account with nearly 27,000 followers. These sort of “micro influencers” have a duty of care to get things right. But we all know they simply spend their days telling mistruths to earn their advertising revenue.

So lets look a little deeper into what was said. The accusation that Arteta’s biggest flaw is that Arteta signs centre backs and plays them at right back or left back, signs wingers and turns them into central midfielders and vice versa.

Now I presume in defence, “Ifeoluwani” is talking about Jurrien Timber, Ben White, Ricardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie

Jurrien Timber

Signed from Ajax with the intention of him becoming our first choice right back, Timber had played nearly two thirds of his pre-Arsenal career at full back. He has since gone on to become one of the best right backs in world football. He is also fantastic cover at centre back and left back. Could probably also play defensive midfielder. Did someone say Dutch total footballer?

Ben White

In Ben White’s first season at Arsenal (21/22), he struggled at centre back. In 22/23 he was moved by Arteta to right back and became one of the best in the league, forming a brilliant partnership with Bukayo Saka as Arsenal launched an unpredictable title challenge. He would have got a lot more caps for England at right back were it not for England being stacked with options at that time and a fall out with Steve Holland.

Had he been fit this summer, Ben White would have been England’s first choice right back and we might have won the World Cup.

Ricardo Calafiori

Before joining, Calafiori had played 41 senior games at centre back, 44 games at left back. Signed as our first choice left back, and also someone that could cover centre back if needed. Most recognise Calafiori as a unicorn player who can dominate wherever he is on the pitch. A success (when fit).

Piero Hincapie

Over two thirds of his appearances for Bayer Leverkusen came at either left back or left midfield. One of the best left backs in the Premier League.

What is clear is that Mikel Arteta has a preference – he likes his left backs to also be comfortable playing inside. In Jurrien Timber, Ben White, Ricardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie he has 4 full back options who play the game exactly he wants it. This is not a flaw. This is a clarity in thinking and successful recruitment,.. You would struggle to find anyone who would criticise any of the 4’s signings. Excluding the odd online attention seeker.

Moving into the midfield, we have Leandro Trossard and Eberechi Eze. These are the only two that you could make a case for that Arteta has tried to “change their position”

Leandro Trossard

What a signing Trossard has been. There is no debate. And he has contributed at Arsenal on both flanks, more centrally and further upfront. Trossard’s versatility is an asset, not a flaw. And he has changed so many games for us playing left wing.

Eberechi Eze

Removing the debate as to whether Eze has been a flop or not, Arteta has not changed his position.

Like Trossard, Eze is a versatile attacked. Whilst his preference to play centrally, he has spent much of his career on the wings. And he has continued that at Arsenal.

In summary, the only flaw I see is from an individual deciding to moan that Arteta attempts to change players positions. He does not. Hr just likes versatile players who are comfortable no matter where they are on the pitch.

Football has moved passed rigid 442. Almost every team now looks to recruit “total footballers” where centre backs can play out wide, full backs can cover centrally, defenders can push into midfield, midfielders can play out wide to help overload, and so on.

It really is just a load of attention seeking old waffle. But hey, she got her $3 from Elon and a bit of attention from London’s biggest Arsenal blog. So she will see that as a success (I am assuming gender here).

And ultimately, all players mentioned above, Eze aside, excelled last season and have been fantastic signings.

Keenos

Manchester City and England legend ready to step up for Arsenal

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So William Saliba’s back finally gave way on Tuesday during the game against Spain.

Arsenal medical staff had been currently monitoring William Saliba’s back condition. 

It was well reported that the Frenchman had been managing a debilitating lower back and sciatic nerve issue and had been playing with the help of pain-relief injections in recent months. Against Spain he could not take it anymore, and he is now set to go under the knife.

What is now fairly obvious is that Saliba will not be fit for the start of the season, and the type of surgery he likely needs on his lower discs could sideline him for up to 4 months. We will be lucky to see him before Christmas.

The club were already scouring world football to find someone who could cover for Saliba’s absence. Ezri Konsa’s name was the one they seemingly landed on with the Englishman able to sufficiently cover for both Saliba and Jurrien Timber, replacing Ben White. But there is another man we need to be looking at. John Stones.

Stones is a Manchester City legend. Played nearly 300 games for them. 6 league titles, 3 FA Cups, the Champions League and plenty of other minor honours. He is also closing in on 100-caps for England.

Still only 32, Stones still has plenty to give on the pitch, and he has shown that for England when called upon during this World Cup.

Questions will rightly be raised about his fitness – Stones has never played more than 30 league games for City and has played 20+ just once in the last 5. Just 36 league appearances in the last 3-years should raise a concern.

But Stones could be the perfect short-term replacement for Saliba.

We could take inspiration from PSG who only seemed to roll out Marquinhos for Champions League and big Ligue 1 fixtures. We could play Stones on a Saturday in the Premier League. He is oven ready and can perform from day one. And then keep Cristhian Mosquera for the Champions League group stages, which actually throw up easier games than the English top division.

Stones would only need to get us through to December and Saliba return. At that point, we could ease Saliba back in, playing once a week, with either Stones or Mosquera playing the other game.

The kickr is Stones is available on a free transfer. So whilst he would likely command big wages, the deal is financially doable. And offering him another 2-years of playing league title chasing football may be enough to edge Arsenal ahead of any rivals in the chase for him.

Stones for 2-years would also allow us to continue the development of Mosquera without the need to expect the 22-year-old starlet to play twice a week. In the 20-30 games we will play before Christmas, you would basically have Stones playing in half, Mosquera playing in half. Stones, at his age, would also not impact Mosquera beyond 2027.

It just feels like a sensible deal to make. And one which would be quick to do once the World Cup is over.

Keep an eye on this one…

Keenos