The noise only really came from the minorities.

Those on the fringes of Arsenal’s fan base. Those that go OTT in either their criticism or support of something (or someone) Arsenal related. Usually to try and get attention.

It is no different to politics really. Those minorities with extreme views often have the loudest voices and get the most air time. Meanwhile there is a silent majority in the middle that is reasonable. That hold un-extreme views. that do not over react to every little thing.

William Saliba was on man that the minorities fought over.

On one side you had those that saw him as a reason to abuse Mikel Arteta, Edu and Arsenal.

They would use Saliba to label Arteta as someone who could not develop youth. That fell out with players too easily – this despite Arsenal having the youngest starting XI last season and many of those youngsters name checking Arteta as a man key for their development.

Then on the other side you had those who were writing Saliba off. that he was not very good, had a poor attitude and would never make it. These had probably never seen him play and were building their negative view of Saliba to simply counteract those who were using the Frenchman to attack Arsenal.

But the vast majority remained silent. They could see what Arteta and the club were doing with Saliba. And understood Saliba’s talent.

Those silent majority have now been proved right in keeping their opinions to themselves, and supporting Saliba on loan whilst also supporting Arsenal on the pitch.

Saliba had joined Arsenal at 19 for just £27million. He quickly gained fan boys. But he was clearly not ready for senior Premier League football.

As part of the deal, Arsenal had agreed to loan Saliba back to Saint-Étienne. It was a deal that suited all involved.

Saint-Étienne would keep their star centre back for another year, Saliba would get a full season of top flight football and Arsenal would inherite a player one year closer to being Premier League ready.

But then the pandemic hit which cut short the French 2019/20 season leaving Saliba with just 11 top flight starts from the campaign.

Saliba returned to Arsenal for the 2020 campaign and it felt like the club did not know what to do with him.

Here was a talented individual that was still very young. He was very much a rough diamond that needed to be shined. But like with many young defenders, Arsenal could not really blood him. Allow him to make the mistakes that would cost us games.

Saliba was also suffering from personal issues. Having lost his father in 2018, Saliba’s mum passed away in 2020.

This led Saliba to enter a bit of a wilderness 6 months.

Not part of Arsenal’s first team squad, not registered for the Europa League squads, and only making the odd appearance here or there for the U23s. These performances were also not exactly screaming for him to start for the seniors.

The talent was there, but having now lost both his parents before his 20th birthday he struggled to settle in a new country. Arsenal decided to loan him out to Nice for the second half of the 2020/21 season.

At this point, Saliba had 3 half seasons under his belt.

As Arsenal entered the 2021/22 season with no European football, a decision was made to sign Ben White and send Saliba on loan to Marsielle.

It would have been a huge risk for the club to go into 21/22 with such a raw defender. The signing of White with his Premier League (and English football) experience made complete sense.

I am sure under “normal” circumstance, Saliba would have remained at Arsenal for 21/22 and played in the Europa League, League Cup and FA Cup. But with no European football Arsenal simply did not need such a big squad.

So Saliba would go to Marsielle and finally get his first full season of senior football under his belt.

He grew so much last season. Not just on the pitch but off.

The loan deal allowed him to play week in, week out at a lower level and his game came on leaps and bounds due to it. He finished the season with 5 France caps.

Also off the pitch he seemed to mature as the year went on.

After the succesful loan deal, he returned to Arsenal.

The minorities starting slandeirng the club once again. Claiming that Arteta did not want him. that he was refusing to sign a new deal and would push for a move back to Marsielle. But the silent majority could see beyond the lies.

Arsenal had taken their time developing the young defender, ignoring the noise of fans on the fringes.

When you now look at Manchester United signing Lisandro Martínez for £50million. Chelsea signing 31-year-old Kalidou Koulibaly for £33million and reportedly be willing to spend £60million on Saliba’s former Saint-Étienne team mate Wesley Fofana.

Tottenham have recently spent €55million on making the loan deal of Cristian Romero permanent whilst Manchester City have spent over half a billion on cnetral defenders in recent years.

Arsenal took the risk with Saliba, spending big money on him with such little experience.

We signed him with a development plan in mind. Personal reasons and a pandemic extended that development plan by a year. But we now have a 21-year-old central defender on our hands that could become one of the best in the world over the next few years.

Now those in the minority will be saying “we told you he was brilliant”. But this ignores the fact that the silent majority of Arsenal fans never contradicted this. Never wrote him off. Those that did were just a loud minority on the other side.

The vast majority of Arsenal fans could see his talent. But they knew it need harnessing.

So Arsenal now have a £60million+ defend on their hands. Saliba really is like a new signing.

And alongside White and Gabriel, we have the best trio of defenders since Tony Adams, Steve Bould and Martin Keown were at the club.

With 50+ games to be played this season, there will be more than enough games to go around for all three. And they will all push each other to be even better.

Arsenal got the recruitment and development of Saliba right. Now we just need to tie him down to that long term deal before his head begins to get turned by a Champions League side.

Keenos

First 3 episodes of All or Nothing watched ✅

The Arsenal kick off the season tonight! ✅

Tee available from @KOMerchants https://t.co/0ifDlyfOHp#AllOrNothingArsenal pic.twitter.com/xKYyCmnoZt

— Carl Bourke Art (@CarlBourkeArt) August 5, 2022

When “Diamond eye” Sven Mislintat was recruited by Arsenal, it was supposed to herald in a new era.

I was one of many who was excited by his appointment and the direction his employment meant the club would be going in. Post-Wenger, Mislintat was due to be a key part of the “New Arsenal“.

Mislintat had built his reputation over in Germany for Borussia Dortmund.

The German outfits transfer policy was all about buying some of the best young talents in the game, giving them time on the pitch to help with their development, and then selling them for huge profits.

It was this policy that has allowed them to “compete” with Bayern Munich during the 2010s – a decade which saw Dormund win the Bundesliga twice, reach a Champions League final and regularly finish top two in Germany.

Mislintat was an ever present having joined the club in 1998 as an Analyst and progressing through to Scout, Chief Scout and Director of Football over his two decades with them.

His appointment at Arsenal looked a masterstroke at the time.

The club would be returning to those early days of Arsene Wenger when we made, rather than bought, supoerstars.

Following last nights depature of Lucas Torreira, there is not a single player left signed by Arsenal during the 18 month period of Mislintat’s employment.

Mislintat joined us four and a half years ago. He oversaw one summer and two winter transfer windows; recruitng nine players across the three windows.

Of the eight players that joined on permanent deals, four left on free transfers – three of which were paid to leave.

Arsenal received just £24.5million in transfer fees for the nine players, with just two sold for any sort of profit. In total, Mislintat’s transfers made a net loss of around £139million.

The players he oversaw bringing in had different levels of success, and left for a variety of reasons.

From Auba bursting on the scene to becoming the problem player we had all been warned about. Guendouzi with talent beyond his years, but the maturity of someone half his age.

Some of the players (Leno, Torreira) looked good signings and did well. Others (Mkhitaryan, Suarez, Lichtsteiner, Sokratis) made you wonder if the diamond eye was actually just a lump of coal.

What is clear is taking into account the money spent, the averaged out performances, and money received, Mislintat’s tenure at Arsenal was an unmitigated disaster.

The good news is that we seem to have turned a corner.

Torreira is the last of Mislintat’s signings to leave which means we do not have too much “dead wood” left that saw us drop from Champions League to out-of-Europe.

Under Edu we now have a clear and obvious transfer policy.

It is actually that same policy thart we all assumed we would follow under Mislintat. Signing exciting, younger players.

But whilst Mislintat seemed to be focused on data, almost Moneyball like, Edu and his team are now also recruiting on attitude.

The likes of Gabriel Jesus, Ben White, Olexsander Zinchenko and Martin Odergaard are all positive characters. They do not have their own huge egos. They do play the big “I am”.

Edu’s recruitment policy has been what we hoped Mislintat’s was going to be.

For as much as Mislintat got wrong, Edu has got right.

May the excitment continue…

Keenos

Shirt of the season 🧣 ❤️ 🧠 https://t.co/0ifDlyfOHp#arsenal #AllOrNothingArsenal #AllOrNothing pic.twitter.com/oMXfMN6MyP

— Carl Bourke Art (@CarlBourkeArt) August 8, 2022

For anyone thinking that Arsenal might sign cover for Thomas Partey, do not bother wasting mental energy.

Three transfers have happened in the last week (or are happening) that show that Arsenal have zero plans in signing cover for the Ghanaian midfielder.

Firstly we have Idrissa Gueye who is set to leave PSG to return to Everton.

Now 32 years old, the Senegalese midfielder would be very good – if short term – cover for Partey.

Replacing Gueye at PSG is Renato Sanches.

The Portuguese midfielder seems to have been about forever, but is still just 24.

A career which started so brightly with Benfica. He burst onto the scene 6 years ago with Golden Boy performances for Portugal as they won the Euros.

That saw him move to Bayern Munich, then loaned out to Swansea.

He has recently rebuilt his career at Lille, which has led to PSG recruiting him for just just £10million.

Also leaving PSG is former Liverpool midfielder Georgina Winjaldum, who has joined Roma on loan.

All 3 players offer similar attributes as Partey, and would have been deals the club could have done easily.

Gueye and Winjaldum would have offered short term options to cover Partey for the next season. This would have allowed the club to scout a longer to replacement next summer.

Sanches would have potentially been that longer term replacement who would have signed cheaply. And if he didn’t work out would not have been an expensive flop.

The fact Arsenal have not been linked with any of the 3, let alone signed, would indicate we are happy Mohammed Elneny, Granit Xhaka and Olexsander Zinchenko covering Partey for this season.

My suspicion is next season we will go bit for a young central midfielder who could be Partey’s longer term replacement.

For how, I think Arsenal have no interest in signing cover for Partey.

Enjoy your day.

Keenos

https://twitter.com/komerchants/status/1555572429321388034?s=21&t=Um9S4ppC3XZ55oT4ksvL8w