Arteta set for major changes as Man City hire ANOTHER lawyer

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Tonight we continue our Champions League campaign against Lille.

Recently we blogged about how Mikel Arteta needs to approach the Champions League differently this year – rather than chasing perfection, he needs to rest and rotate his squad with the aim of just getting through, not winning the group stage.

To that extent, I expect to see a few changes against a Lille side currently sitting 2nd in Ligue 1.

The main two changes will be Mikel Merino and Viktor Gyokeres coming in.

With Kai Havert’s international injury scare, and his recent poor injury records, we need to continue managing his work load. That should see the German rested today, with Gyokeres getting a chance to perform up top.

Moving into midfield, Arteta has an abundance of choices. It is therefore essential that this season he rotates his midfielders, keeping them fresh. For that reason, Mikel Merino will surely get a start alongside either Declan Rice or Bruno Guimaraes.

I think Arteta would have gone with Martin Zubimendi alongside Bruno, but with the Spaniard having picked up a post-game training session injury, Merino will come in with Bruno or Rice in behind. Much of that later decision will depend on how Bruno is recovering from his slight knocks.

As a result of the midfield make-up, Myles Lewis Skelly will be pushed to left back.

With Piero Hincapie’s injury, we need to ensure that we wrap Riccardo Calafiori in cotton wool. Lewis Skelly can more than do a job at left back without us losing anything from the midfield.

Jurrien Timber will be given the first 60 minutes as he continues his rehabilitation, with Ezri Konsa and Gabriel inside him – although Arteta may also fancy giving Cristhian Mosquera a run out instead of one of the pair.

I would keep Noni Madueke on the left hand side – he did not have a bad game against Leeds and needs to grow in confidence as he will get a lot of game time in the coming weeks. On the right it will be Bukayo Saka, with Eberechi Eze potentially coming in for Martin Odegaard.

Maybe a little disjointed, but it should be enough to overcome Lille. And then it is on to the next one…

In other news, Manchester City have splashed the cash on yet another new lawyer.

According to The Lawyer, Mark Howard KC is now working alongside City’s other barristers, including Lord Pannick and Paul Harris KC.

We all know the delusion of Man City fans over this case, claiming the plan was to always lose the hearing so that they could take their evidence to a higher court. This new appointment shows it was all just a load of waffle and that they are now panicking.

You do not spend millions on another high-flying lawyer if you are confident about the defence your existing high-flying have already presented.

As the case continues to unravel, more and more interested parties will come out of the woodwork.

The SRA are already looking into the role of solicitors in the cover up, whilst both HMRC and the US Government could reopen old cases depending on the final verdict. Then you have the FCA who could look into Man City auditors, BDO. This on the back of Deloitte being exposed for helping Roman Abramovich’s dodgy dealings.

The initial Premier League case against Man City might be concluded within 12 months, but with an ongoing investigation for 2018-present day as well as the above potential investigations, aspects of the case could rattle on for years more. And none of it is good for City or the reputation of their owners.

Match report: Arsenal 2-1 Leeds United

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Arsenal made hard work of it, but a second-half comeback secured three points against a Leeds United side who will feel they deserved rather more from their afternoon in north London.

After the disappointment of defeat to Brighton before the international break, Mikel Arteta’s team needed a response. What they produced for much of the opening hour was hardly convincing, with Leeds organised, energetic and willing to exploit every weakness in the home side’s performance.

David Raya was particularly important in keeping Arsenal level before the break. Leeds threatened repeatedly, with Noah Okafor and Dominic Calvert-Lewin among those testing the home defence. Arsenal had opportunities of their own, Noni Madueke offering a useful outlet on the left, but Kai Havertz could only direct his header straight at James Trafford.

The warning signs were there, and Leeds made their pressure count ten minutes into the second half. Gabriel Gudmundsson delivered dangerously from the left and James Justin arrived at the far post to fire home. It was a deserved lead, and Arsenal suddenly had a familiar problem: plenty of possession, but precious little control of the contest.

Fortunately, Madueke continued to provide the directness Arsenal needed. His cross was worked across the penalty area by Ben White, allowing Riccardo Calafiori to finish from close range on 62 minutes. It was not the prettiest equaliser, but nobody inside the Emirates was going to complain.

Arteta’s triple substitution followed, with Bruno Guimarães among those introduced, and the Brazilian wasted little time making his mark. Declan Rice’s clever flick sent him into space on the edge of the area, and Guimarães finished emphatically into the bottom corner on 70 minutes. Eight minutes had transformed the afternoon.

Arsenal might have made the closing stages rather more comfortable. Martin Ødegaard missed a golden opportunity from close range, while Bukayo Saka went through one-on-one in stoppage time but failed to find the net. Leeds kept pushing, refusing to make life easy for their hosts until the final whistle.

There is plenty for Arsenal to reflect on. Raya’s interventions were vital, the midfield struggled to impose itself for long periods, and the team looked vulnerable against Leeds’ direct running and deliveries into the box. Against stronger opposition, such a slow start could prove costly.

Yet there was also character in the recovery, and Guimarães demonstrated precisely why fresh legs and quality from the bench can change a game.

For Leeds, this was a frustrating defeat after an excellent hour of football. For Arsenal, it was an important three points rather than a performance to celebrate unreservedly. The result matters, particularly after the Brighton setback, but the manner of the victory should serve as a reminder that this team still has work to do.

DJ

How will Arsenal look in 2030?

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It was brilliant news that Mikel Arteta has signed a new contract. Anyone that disagrees with this fact must hold some sort of grudge. Likely going back to Arteta snubbing them as a player when, as a grown man, they used to hang about the training ground begging for shirts to be signed.

So 2030. Another 4-years of challenging for titles under Super Mik Arteta. Another 4-years of trusting the process.

Arteta’s Arsenal are in the “WIN NOW” phase. The signings of Ezri Konsa and Bruno Guimaraes, two established Premier League superstars, highlight that Arteta is now building for the future. He wants glory. And it wants it this season. And next.

But this brings with it a risk.

As we have seen with Liverpool, if you do not prepare for the future you end up with a group of players all reaching the end of their peak at the same time. They will be on huge wages, which leaves you little budget to consider signing the “next big things” and what ends up happening is a few years in the wilderness whilst you rebuild a team, rather than a transition as 20-somethings take over from 30-somethings.

Manchester United have spent nearly 15-years in this wilderness following Sir Alex Ferguson’s (and theirs) last league title. It was a championship built on Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Michael Carrick, Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney and Patrice Evra. The majority of which were beyond 30, and all of which were nearing the end, or at the end, of their peak.

Arteta’s job over the next 4-years is not to only win now, but also to ensure that he does not go into the 30s with an ageing squad past their best, or handover a creaking squad to the next man.

So just how would Arteta’s current Arsenal look in 2030?

Come 2030, David Raya will be 35. As a keeper who relies on reflexes rather than his frame, he will likely be at the end of his time with us. He may not even make it through to 2030. But coming through the wings we have Tommy Setford.

Now it is notoriously difficult to come through at a top team as a goalkeeper. You just do not get the game time to develop, to make your mistakes as you grow. That is why Setford’s loan deals, and patience, are going to be important.

Come 2030, Setford would be 24. Still young for a keeper. Hopefully he would have had 3 progressive loan deals under his belt (currently at Stevenage), the last of which being either in the Premier League, Bundesliga, or other top league. If he is good enough, he will get his chance.

Jurrien Timber will still only be 29 in 2030, as will William Saliba. Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapié will be just 28 and Cristhian Mosquera 26. These guys will have plenty still left in the tank. There is also Marli Salmon who will be just 21…

Gabriel Magalhães at 32 might be coming to the end of his time, but then again he has never been a defender who has relied on his pace. You could easily see him playing through till he is 34 or 35 at the highest level. Likewise, Ezri Konsa will also be 32. We do not really need to think too much about succession planning for these guys as those mentioned above will still in in their late 20s. Succession planning for the defence will probably start in 2030, not need to be done by.

In midfield, Martin Odegaard will be 31. I would not be surprised if he leave us before 2030. Maybe even next summer. Eberechi Eze (32), Mikel Merino (34) and Bruno Guimaraes (32) will likely all be either gone, or in their last season.

That will still leave us with Declan Rice (31), Martín Zubimendi (31), Myles Lewis-Skelly (24) as midfield options, with Bukayo Saka (29), Christos Tzolis (28) and Max Dowman (20) as attacking options. Despite being just 28 in 2030, I expect Noni Madueke to have departed to make way for Dowman.

Up front it is a bit more tricky. Kai Havertz will be 31 and Viktor Gyokeres 32. I would be very surprised if either are still with us in 2030.

So lets now look at 2030/31. What would be the starting XI based on players currently with us who would still have plenty to give. And where do we need to look to recruit?

Setford
Timber Saliba Mosquera Calafiori
MLS
Saka Rice
Dowman ????? Tzolis

Declan Rice would be the only man in our 2030/31 that would be over 30, and he would be just 31. With his footballing brain, playing a more static role, or even going back to centre back, would be an easy transition for Rice as his legs go.

Then backing the above up, we would still have the likes of Zubimendi, Salmon, Hincapie, as well as Gabriel or Konsa as an “older” option at just 32. This leaves us, in the next 4 years, to only really need to recruit a new right back, central midfielder, Odegaard replacement, left winger and two strikers.

Arteta can be in his win now phase because most of his players are all just entering their peak. There is not a huge amount of succession planning needing to be done. Much of it is already done. And the reast will happen naturally as we improve our squad year on year rather than having to buy the future.

Here is to another 4-years (at least) Mikel!

Keenos

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