David Raya – the good
Let’s start the blog with a positive – David Raya is now an Arsenal player.
Now I get why Arsenal did the deal; having lost Matt Turner, we needed another keeper. Runar Alex Runarsson and Karl Hein are not a number 2.
The opportunity arose to sign a proven Premier League number 1, who is also number 1 for his country. Having two top keepers like Raya and Aaron Ramsdale is better than having Ramsdale backed up by Runarsson.
I think Raya is the one who pushed for the loan deal. And it is a good deal for all parties.
Raya basically has a year to force his way into Mikel Arteta’s first team. If he fails to do so, the loan deal keeps his options open next summer.
He can either sign permanently for Arsenal and continue to fight for his place. He can return to Brentford as their number 1. Or he can push for a move to another club where he would be number one.
For Brentford, Raya did the right thing signing an extension. That leaves the door open for his return and re-integration, and will mean they still get a fee for Raya if Arsenal decide not to sign him.
Finally, for Arsenal it pushes the can of signing a number two down the road.
In 12 months, either Raya and Ramsdale are both happy at the club and we keep both, or one is unhappy and they depart. This 12 months now gives us the time to scout and recruit a new number two. Or to see if Hein can push on.
Jurrien Timber – the bad
It has been confirmed that Jurrien Timber has suffered significant knee ligament damage and is expected to have an extended spell on the sidelines. It has not yet been announced by the club whether this is an ACL, MCL or some other damage.
I feel for the lad.
He is clearly a brilliant player and was one of our top performers in pre-season. At just 22 he was set for a big career and I am sure he would have established himself as one of the best full backs in the league.
Ligament injuries are not the career ender of decades ago. Treatment, rehab and recovery advances have now seen many a player return to the top level. Although many also do still have issues that plague their career.
Moises Caicedo suffered a ruptured ACL when he was 16. Robert Pires, Xavi, Alan Shearer, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Zlatan Ibrahimovic who suffered the injury and went on to become considered amongst the best players of their time after returning.
Virgl van Dijk more recently suffered a torn ACL. He was out for close to a year but returned the beast of a defender he was before (oddly, Liverpool fans are now saying “he was never the same player” despite spending the last 2 years also saying he was the best defender in the world).
What is important is we take out time with Timber. We do not rush him back. If that means he does not play in 2023/24 then so be it.
The fans – the ugly
Following the Timber news, some of our fans looked for someone to blame. They pointed their fingers at American pitches and our medical staff.
Whenever a player gets injured, you always get this Twitter medical experts who have probably not even got a GCSE to their name sharing fake news. Plastic American pitches is this summer myth.
There has been a trend of ACL injuries in recent weeks with Christopher Nkunku, Thibaut Courtois, Tyrone Mings, Emi Buendia and Eder Militao all suffering long term injuries.
All 5 played for clubs who spent some time playing in America, so the conclusion is that temporary plastic American pitches are to blame.
There is zero evidence of this. And in fact the research shows “ACL injuries happened at roughly the same rate on artificial surfaces and grass”.
Some have pointed to the NFL which has a huge ACL issue to highlight the problem with American pitches. But American footballers are suffering due to players being bigger, stronger, quicker and hitting much, much harder.
Fans have also blamed the Arsenal physio’s for putting Timber out for the second half.
The Arsenal physios are some of the best in the game. Their criticis have zero experience in the area.
There would have been a series of tests that the physios would have undertaken to establish if a player could continue. If none of these tests highlighted damage, and Timber said he was OK to continue, then there is no reason for them not to put him out for the second half.
Serious damage like what Timber suffered can usually only be established through scans. Of course, Arsenal will not have an MRI machine in the changing room…
The physios did their job, Timber would have said he was OK to carry on and, like with many injuries, the player then breaks down as soon as he tries to play again.
How about we stop with the blame game and just accept that injuries are part of the game. What is now important is that we get around Timber and support his recovery!
Enjoy your Wednesday.
Keenos
She Wore A Yellow Ribbon 
Loan wasn’t about Raya. It was about FFP given our lack of sales and CL participation.
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Timber got injured at the Emirates when he went for a sliding tackle which Arteta player don’t usually commit. And he got a yellow card. It was unfortunate and the young boy will learn. Let’s move on.
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