It’s oh so quiet…

It’s oh so quiet.

The only real news coming out of Arsenal at the time of writing was that Charlie George and Sammy Nelson were part of the 55 redundancies, as were Pat Rice and Stewart Houston.

On the 2 former assistant managers, it feels right.

Both were employed as “scouts” but you have to wonder how much scouting they were actually doing, taking into account both men were 71-years-old.

I doubt either of them were travelling abroad to check on players, you never saw Sky turn the camera on them at grounds, and I doubt they were on the wind swept Hackney fields on a cold and wet Tuesday night.

Having them both on the payroll as “scouts” feels very much like job for the boys.

On George and Nelson. It is tough.

The museum is not doing tours for the foreseeable, which means no legends tours.

Could the club have kept both on the payroll doing nothing? Yes. But then Arsenal have had over 871 players play for them throughout history.

We can not be a pay cheque for every player beyond their retirement from football

If they squandered their money on booze and brasses, we should not pick up the pieces.

Yes, we can help out, throwing a bit of work here and there like the club have done with Kenny Sansom, but ultimately ex-players need to be responsible for themselves.

Charlie George certainly did the legends tours out of the love for his club and talking about it. But if the club can not run the tours, the tough decisions need to be made.

I am sure in 12 or 24 months time, when legend tours reopen, the club will be on the phone to Charlie George. And if he does not want it, I am sure there are plenty of other former players that would jump at the chance.

It is tough for those involved, especially as Charlie George and Pat Rice have given us decades of service. And I am sure some fans are frustrated.

But where they leave, opportunities for others will rise.

Another victim of COVID19 was Piebury Corner.

The pie shop on Holloway Road has been an inspiration for any budding businessman.

To grow out of having a stall near Arsenal station to 2 shops on Holloway Road and at Kings Cross was a brilliant story.

Piebury Corner became a place people would go to meat (get it?) before games. Like going to the George or the Bailey.

As decent pubs shut down the Holloway Road, the pie shop became a popular meeting place.

This is not the end of the road for the team. They will return back to where they came from with a stall outside the ground.

I am sure we will see them back running a shop again sooner rather than later.

When you have a top product, and are good, hard working people, you do not let a bump in a road derail you.

So I see Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is out injured again.

When we sold him to Liverpool, I was delighted.

He was an average player who had the odd special moment. At Liverpool he has been no different.

The odd spectacular goal, the odd match winning performance, and then in between a lot of dross.

People still say he has “raw potential” and “if he can get a consistent run of games he will be a star”. The bloke is 27-years-old now.

He has yet to start 20 Premier League games in a season. His highest goal tally is 4.

Theo Walcott might not have been as good technically as Oxlade-Chamberlain, but he was the better player. Contributed a lot more.

Oxlade-Chamberlain has 16 career league goals. Walcott 65.

He will go down as one of the most overrated players in Premier League history.

Keenos

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