Category Archives: Arsenal

And a Happy New Year

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At the beginning of the season, had we been given 4th in the league on New Years Day we would have taken it.

A position that would have been unthinkable following 3 defeats and 0 goals in the opening 3 games of the season.

But we are 4th in the league and deserve to be there.

Yes, Tottenham might have a couple of games in hand and if they win them they will be back above us, but I would rather than the runs on the board than the wickets in hand.

As Manchester United showed in their draw against Newcastle; it is dangerous to assume you will win every game in hand.

Tottenham’s 3 postponed games are all away – Burnley, Brighton & Leicester City. Whilst Arsenal’s one postponed game is at home against Wolves.

We face Manchester City today who have won their last 10 Premier League games in a row. although 7 of them were against sides in the lower half ot the table – Wolves, Manchester United and West Ham the only top 8 sides they faced during the run.

That being said, I do not expect us to get much out of todays fixtures. And that is something which needs to change if we want to be title challengers.

Facing the likes of Liverpool, Man City and Chelsea needs to stop being a “free hit” and we need to go into games against them – especially at home – demanding 3 points.

We have lost all 3 games against those teams currently ahead of us; which is why there is a gap between 3rd and 4th.

To close that gap we need to start beating those teams.

So enjoy your New Years Day. Have a few beers. And remember we are not back to work until Tuesday.

Keenos

Top 10 Arsenal blogs of 2021

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The last day of the year.

Thank you to everyone that has read my ramblings, RT’d them or shared them in 2021.

I do not write for money. This is not my job and I have no interest in it ever becoming that – as soon as you start earning from your content you begin thinking about “what makes me the most money” rather than just sharing an honest view point.

We have had over 280 blogs this year. I do try and write every days but life often gets in the way. And if I have nothing interesting to say I would rather say nothing than try and force it.

This year we passed through 6 million views on the blog and are well on the way to 7 million. Taking into account we now live in a video world and written media is on the declince, that is fantastic. Especially when we avoid the click bait headlines that others use.

So what have been our top 10 blogs of 2021?

  1. Rob Holding departure a “good deal for all parties”
  2. Arsenal did not “lose the race” to sign Buendia
  3. Arsenal v Wolves should go ahead (or a 3-0 win awarded to The Arsenal due to Wolves decision to have a small squad)
  4. AFTV caught lying about Arsenal away fans again
  5. Brentford Community Stadium: No Beer, No Atmosphere – Ground Review
  6. Arsenal Fans Unite Against Media
  7. Ben White to cost Arsenal less than Raphael Varane and why transfer fees do not matter
  8. Ben White to miss start of the season as Arsenal’s preparations ramp up
  9. Kalvin Phillips England role gives Arsenal fans a glimpse of the future
  10. Fenerbache behaviour shows Mesut Ozil has always been the problem

Thank you again for all those who have supported us this year. Have a few beers tonight and enjoy your evening! Remember, it is up early tomorrow for Manchester City.

Keenos

One out, One in for Arsenal’s midfield

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Report are (and by the time I hit publish the deal might have gone through) that Ainsley Maitland-Niles will leave Arsenal on loan to join Roma.

It is a good deal for the Hale end graduate and one that I hope will leave to his permanent departure.

That is not because I do not like the kid (although at 24 he is now a man) but because I want to see him crack on with his career.

Like Eddie Nketiah, Maitland-Niles has had a couple of chance to leave on a permanent basis blocked.

In the last 18 months, he has had offers from Wolves, Leicester City and Everton. Each time he has been blocked in leaving by Mikel Arteta.

It is one of my biggest criticsms of Arteta; he only seems to fancy a player when they have one foot out the door – think Maitland-Niles, Nketiah and Calum Chambers.

Since the deal to join wolves collapsed at the last minute in the summer of 2020, Maitland-Niles has started just 7 Premier League games for the club. He started a further 14 whilst on loan at WBA.

It is getting to the point that we are messing him about. So I hope he sparkles on loan at Roma and that leaves to a move somewhere that will give him a better opportunity to add to his 5 England caps.

So working on the basis that Maitland-Niles is off, Arsenal will surely need to bring in a new midfielder in January.

Both Thomas Partey and Mo Elneny are expected to leave for the African Cup of Nations in the next couple of days. That will leave Arsenal with just Granit Xhaka and Albert Sambi Lokonga as the senior midfielders. The latter of which has now started a game in over a month.

Beyond those two, Arteta’s other options would be Charlie Patino, Emile Smith Rowe and Martin Odergaard.

None of them have the defensive output that Partey has and all 3 will be a big risk playing deeper (the couple of times we played with either Smith Rowe or Odergaard deeper this season we got over run in the midfield).

All indicators are that we will bring someone in to reinforce that position in January. Likely to be a 6 month loan deal. But like with the Dani Cabellos move it could lead to something longer.

There is one obvious midfielder in European football currently sniffing for a move out of his club on temporary basis. He would have Premier League experience, and as both the defensive output, work rate and passing ability that Arteta demands.

Ladies and gentlemen; Georginio Wijnaldum.

Keenos