Category Archives: Arsenal

Should the January transfer window be scrapped?

Leave a reply

Morning all.

Today is a regular work day in case you did not realise. Christmas is over.

A quick hats off to all those that work in retail and hospitality. Whilst the rest of us are posting up pictures of our 4th day eating left overs, still on the booze or our Christmas bargains, they are dragging themselves into work. they are the true heroes of Christmas.

I should not have actually been writing a blog today. It should have been a match report. But yesterday’s game against Wolves was cancelled and it still rankles we me. Ruined my Christmas.

Arsenal have basically had a game cancelled because Wolves decided to not have enough senior players.

Not only have they only named a 21-man List A squad, they have only used 18 players this season – the least of any Premier League side.

They have sacrificed squad depth for quality; deciding to spend their wage budget on 18-21 players rather than 25-28.

They are happy to gain the advantages of having a smaller squad – IE the quality – but when they have players out injured their lack of squad should become a disadvantage. Instead they have the game cancelled.

It will be interesting to see what they do in the FA Cup against Sheffield United.

Will they put out their strongest 11? A side selected from that core of 18 they have used this season? Or will they look to their List B and play a load of youngers. Those same youngsters they claimed were not ready for first team football which resulted in their game against us being cancelled.

I think we all know what they are going to do…

There is also a debate to be had about the vaildity of the January transfer window.

Arsene Wenger once said that the summer transfer window should slam shut on the eve of the new season and there should be no January window.

That philosphy makes it “fair for all” as you have to play every side home and away picking from the same group of players.

Wolves will now be able to face Arsenal with potential new signings that were not available to them for the original game.

Likewise you look at someone like Tottenham who have had 3 games postponed, they will now be able to play those games with any new January signings.

Should they scrap the January window and you have to play with the cards you dealt yourself for the entire season? It is certainly a debate to be had.

Anyway, enjoy your Wednesday. Whether you are working or still digging into cheese and biscuits.

Keenos

Gabriel Sanchez Baby

Leave a reply

When Arsenal sold Alexis Sanchez to Man U, we lost that player who was a difference maker. That could create something for himself out of nothing.

In Gabriel Martinelli we have a player that reminds me a lot of the Chilean.

Martinelli is a high work rate player whose first thought is always about going forward. How can he beat a man, how can he score a goal.

Like Sanchez he scores all sorts of goals. Worldies a from the edge of the area. On his toes to grab a tap in. Lofting it over a keeper when clean through, or bending it round him.

They both have that burst of pace and a trick to beat a man. The ability to be surrounded by two or 3 players but somehow find a way out of trouble with the ball at their feet.

His game does have its flaws which are also eerily similar to Sanchez.

Sanchez was a poor passer. You would not really want him involved in slow and patient build up. He would take 2 or 3 touches when one is needed.

Martinelli is the same.

He is often bottom of pass completion in the team. You want him coming in on the left to finish the build up. Not involved in it.

With 4 goals and 2 assists in his last 5 games, Martinelli has finally returned to that form that made him one of the most exciting teenagers on the planet.

Still just 20, the competition on the left between him and Emile Smith Rowe will only push both further.

In Smith Rowe we have someone that reminds me of Robert Pires.

Martinelli is beginning to look like a Sanchez regen.

Keenos

Arsenal v Wolves should go ahead (or a 3-0 win awarded to The Arsenal due to Wolves decision to have a small squad)

36 Replies

Today I should have been writing a pre-match blog previewing our home game against Wolves.

I planned to moan about us having to play twice within 48 hours; but how our exciting youngsters and good form should carry us through against a Wolves side with just 1 win in 7.

Then the news broke on Boxing Day that the game was to be suspended due to Wolves not having enough players.

Over the last few weeks, games being suspended due to Covid have been a frustration of mine.

We see teams getting games called off due to 5 or 6 players ill. In Wolves case they have 6 players with Covid. Is this really enough to get a game called off?

During the course of a regular season, there is always a team that has more injuries than others. When we played Leeds United a couple of weeks ago, they had 9 injuries. The game went ahead.

Why does having 6 players with Covid get a game postponed whilst a team with the same level of injuries has to play on.

Some will say “it’s an illness” but the Premier League do not postpone games due to influence or food poisoning.

And Premier League teams have large squads.

Before the season commences they submit an A list and B list to the league. In the case of Wolves, these two lists contain 76 players.

So out of 76 players registered to play in the Premier League, less than 10% have Covid. They still have over 60 players to pick from.

And these are all senior players. Over the age of 16.

The problem for those Premier League sides applying to get games postponed is not that they do not have enough players available; but they do not deem their younger players to be good enough.

Why should games be postponed due to a club not having good enough players? If that was justification to postponed games, Norwich City wouldn’t have played a game this season.

And Wolves in particular is an interesting case.

The argument being used at the moment seems to be that sides do not have 13 outfield players and one keeper available to them.

They have 6 players with Covid and a further 6 injured. But we should disregard the injured players as that happens during the course of the season.

As discussed above, Wolves have 76 players registered to play in the Premier League. So they could field 13 outfield players and a keeper if they were forced too.

If the argument is that they can not field the 14 total players from their List A due to injury and Covid, then this is their fault.

Wolves only named 21 players in their List A. You can have 25.

They named their full contingent of non-home grown players (17) but just 4 home grown players.

Two of their senior players are keepers, leaving them with just 19 “senior” outfield players.

That means Wolves only need to have 7 players out injured or with Covid to then be able to claim that they do not have enough players to fulfil a game.

Yet they made the active decision of not having enough senior players through their squad. Had they had the full 25, would they have been able to fulfil the game?

The answer is yes.

Had they had 25 List A players, with 12 out with Covid and injury they would have 13 fit players. It would therefore only require one promotion from List B to have the 13+1.

They have literally decided to have a smaller squad.

It is an advantage to have a smaller squad if everyone is fit as your wage budget can be shared amongst less players. That allows you a better quality of player but a lower quantity of player.

But it then means if you get a few injuries you do not have the strength in depth to back them up.

It seems the decision to not have a big senior squad is currently being rewarded.

The Premier League cocked up by beginning to allows teams to postpone games and it opened the flood gates.

Crystal Palace requested their game against Tottenham be suspended due to Covid; And then made just 1 change from their previous game.

For me, every team can fulfil every fixture. Their List A & B squads combined gives them more than enough players.

The Premier League should have enforced their own rules. If a club decides to not fulfil a fixture, they forfeit the result.

That would punish the likes of Wolves who made the active decision to not have enough senior players and do not think their List B players to be good enough to play for them. Or it would force them to rely on those youngsters, majority of whom are over 18.

If Wolves wish to postponed the game, Arsenal should be awarded a 3-0 win.

Keenos