Author Archives: keenosafc

Arsenal kick off US tour with midnight win

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Last (or this morning) we kicked off our pre-season tour with a win against Everton in Baltimore.

For those long-term followers of the blog, you will all know my disdain for these international tours. They just highlight clubs for the hypocrites they are.

They preach to fans about sustainability, net-zero and carbon footprint – then fly players thousands of miles round the globe to play teams that are just 6 miles away (in the case of our friendly against Chelsea in a weeks time).

Like many (Gary Lineker), football clubs are happy to lecture fans but soon forget their morals when there is a bit of coin to be made.

At some point this season every Premier League manager will bemoan scheduling. Claiming players are tired. Exhausted. In need of a rest. It will be louder this year as we have the corrupt winter World Cup.

Maybe if they were that concerned with player welfare, they should set the example and have pre-season friendlies closer to home? Not fly to numerous different countries to play teams based round the corner?

This season we play in 3 different countries (England, Germany & USA). In 2019 it was 4. 2018 it was 5!

Considering we are in the era of marginal gains, surely a sports scientist has pointed out that by not flying round the globe for pre-season, players will be much more prepared?

Anyway, political rant over.

The Everton game kicked off at midnight. I did not watch it. Will probably try and catch some highlights today. But I am not overly concerned.

Friendlies mean very little.

We saw Manchester United go OTT with their victory over Liverpool a week or so ago. Ignoring that whilst they had out a very strong XI, Liverpool played mainly kids.

You never know what stage of training a team is at during pre-season.

Often teams will run a full training session before a friendly. If the opponents have not done this then that impacts the fitness.

Might blog tomorrow on the game. But then I will have to pretend I watched it. Or care.

Enjoy your Sunday.

Keenos

Omari Hutchinson will find life is not better away from Arsenal – Just ask Mavididi and McGuane

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Omari Hutchinson has been on most of our radar since a video of him as a 12-year-old went viral in 2016.

Usually these sort of players disappear off the map without a sniff. But in Hutchinson’s case it was looking like he might have a chance to make it.

Now 18, there was talk that he might get an opportunity in the Europa League and League Cup during the first half of the season. That would be followed by a second half of the season loan to “complete his education”.

But instead it looks like he is off to Chelsea.

Now many will bemoan Arsenal losing a bright young talent to a rival.

Some have already blamed Mikel Arteta for “not giving youngsters a chance” despite him consistently fielding the youngest team in the Premier League last season.

We have seen Hale End graduates Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe become first team regulars under his tutorage. Whilst Eddie Nketiah has done enough to earn himself a new contract.

I have always been of the option that you “can not develop them all”.

Senior game time is limited at clubs like Arsenal. We have to choose who we will back.

That will always lead to some moaning that one player has lacked game time whilst others get it.

Henri Lansbury “never got a fair crack of the whip” at Arsenal because a certain Jack Wilshere was given the minutes.

Likewise Reiss Nelson’s game time evaporated whilst Saka exploded onto the scene.

The majority of Arsenal youngsters will leave us before ever getting a chance. And very few, if any, have proved the club wrong over the years.

Two of the most “high profile” departures in recent years were Stephen Mavididi and Marcus McGuane.

Mavididi found himself in competition with Nketiah and, with a Florian Balogun also coming up the ranks behind, his game time was limited.

Mavididi opted to join Juventus. He wod make one league appearance for the Old Lady before joining Montpellier in France.

A big deal was made of McGuane joining Barcelona. An even bigger deal was made when he played for them in a friendly – the British media wrongly claiming that he had made his senior debut.

Four years after leaving Arsenal, McGuane is back in England plying for Oxford United.

Another to recently leave is was Sam Greenwood.

He left for Leeds United in the summer of 2020 to get more senior game time. One league start in two seasons for the Yorkshire club.

Hutchinson departure is certainly not a blow to Arsenal.

The winger, born in 2003, has found himself buying Saka and Martinelli (both 2001 born) and Smith Rowe (2000).

These three men kept Nicolas Pepe out the team last season. You will have to be very special to get a chance ahead of them.

This summer Arsenal also recruited Brazilian starlet Marquinhos.

Marquinhos was out straight into the first team squad and is on the plan to the USA. He is just 6 months older than Hutchinson.

Now some might complain as to why we signed Marquinhos rather than giving Hutchinson a go.

Let’s remember Arteta, Per Mertesacker, Edu and their teams know much more about the talents of both players then any of us.

If they have the combined belief that Marquinhos is a better talent than Hutchinson then so be it!

Likewise, I imagine Hutchinson will be very disappointed to see someone of a same age, in the same position, be bought and get a chance ahead of him. But that is football.

Like Akpom led to Afobe leaving and Nketiah led to Akpom departing, you move on if a better player is available.

The only thing I do not really get is if Hutchinson has moved due to lack of game time, why join Chelsea? If he is not good enough for us he is certainly not good enough for them.

I imagine by the time he leaves Chelsea, he would have had more loan clubs than senior starts for them.

I wish Hutchinson luck on the future. But I am not going to lose any sleep over his departure.

Keenos

What does the future hold for Arsenal youngsters?

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Having missed out on the trip to USA, what can Arsenal’s “stars for the future” expect from the upcoming season?

Charlie Patino

The most well known player on this list, 18-year-old Patino made a goal-scoring debut against Sunderland in the League Cup last year.

He then suffered from the social media hype machine with fans then calling for him to start week in week out after his 10-minute cameo. But he was not ready.

That showed in his next appearance for the club – the defeat to Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup.

Patino looked lightweight and was a boy playing a mans game.

It is important not to criticise him for that performance – the entire team were horrendous. Patino was also playing deeper than usual in a midfield two alongside Albert Sambi-Lokonga. It was a tough game for the young man.

Arsenal did the right thing with him putting him back to the PL2 side to continue his development.

This took him away from the eye of the common fan and allowed him to grow without the hype.

Recent pictures show him having bulked up. He now looks like he has the body of a senior footballer rather than that of a gangly youth-team player.

So what does the season hold for him?

Mikel Arteta seems to want to play with one defensive midfielder and then two “8s” either side. From what I have seen of Patino he now has the physicality and technique to play as an 8.

We currently have Martin Odergaard, Fabio Vieira, Granit Xhaka and Emile Smith Rowe as the front-line options in that area.

There is certainly space for Patino to in that squad – especially if Smith Rowe is required on the wing. But you have to think that if he was going to be in Arteta’s first team plans this season he would be on the plane to the USA.

I would not be surprised if he plays in the Europa League and League Cup fixtures this side of Christmas, and then is loaned out to a Championship side for the 2nd half of the year to get week in, week out game time. Europa League & League Cup followed by half season loan in the Championship.

Karl Hein

Last season Arsenal decided to promote Arthur Okonkwo to the first team squad whilst then 19-year-old Estonian keeper Hein in the academy.

Up to that point it was a toss up between the two with regards to who became our 3rd choice keeper and who would keep nets for the PL2 team.

It is a debate as to which decision meant which player was higher up the pecking order.

Whilst his first-team promotion make Okonkwo 3rd choice on paper, Hein would be playing week in week out which would keep him more prepared to step up if needed.

For the 2nd half of the season Hein was loaned out to Reading who he then made 5 Championship appearances for.

The debate between Hein and Okonkwo has been settled by who is on the plane – Arteta opting for the Englishman.

That would lead me to believe that Okonwko will remain as Arsenal’s 3rd choice keeper this season behind Aaron Ramsdale and Matt Turner.

A season long loan where he plays week in, week out would do wonders for his development.
He would probably have to drop down to a League One level to get that game time. League One Loan.

Miguel Azeez

England Under-20 international had his loan spell at Portsmouth cut short last season.

As Arsenal faced a central midfield crisis, Arteta decided to recall Azeez to bolster his senior squad.

His loan spell with Portsmouth was also not going as expected – just a handful of appearances in the Championship and League Cup.

Azeez turns 20 in September. The next 12 months will be huge for him.

He still needs that loan deal and having struggled in League One I would be surprised if he plays any higher than the Championship.

It is important that wherever he goes he gets week in week out game time. There is no point him joining a Premier League or top end Championship side to just sit on the bench. Loan

PART 2 OUT SOON
Brooke Norton-Cuffy
Matt Smith
Salah-Eddine Oulad ‘m Hand

Keenos