Pre-season has kicked up a notch as the team flew out to Germany yesterday.
The squad are off to Adidas HQ for a fee days of high intensity training with concludes with a friendly against Nurnberg.
Why Nurnberg you ask? Simple answer really. They are the sides closest to Adidas HQ.
At the weekend, we had our first pre-season friendly of the season. A behind closed doors game against Watford. We drew 1-1.
Nothing can ever be read into these behind closed doors games. They are more of a training match rather than a friendly.
Due to the internationals, Arsenal players are on a staggered return.
Those who did not represent their country at the back end of the season returned to London Colney early last week. It was those players that featured against Watford.
Meanwhile, the international players returned towards the back end of last week.
So what can we expect this week in Arsenal-world?
One thing we can guarantee is lots of pictures and videos of the lads training, laughing and getting up to hi-jinx.
In terms of transfers, we all know the two that are going to happen so there is nothing to worry about.
Declan Rice has completed his medical and returned to Portugal to continue the holiday he cut short to help push the deal over the line.
Expect Rice to join the squad at London Colney once they return from Germany.
Jurrien Timber is the other one expected to sign. He has begun his pre-season on his own in Holland. It doesn’t seem Ajax are back in training yet and, as he is not yet officially an Arsenal player, he can not join us for training.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Arsenal have set Timber a training programme and even sent out a coach to oversee the next few days.
If the Timber deal goes through today, we could see him make the short trip from Holland to Germany to meet up with his new teammates.
Finally, there was at least one big name absentee from the German training squad. Nicolas Pepe.
The Ivorian was pictured in France at the weekend, and has not been pictured at all at Arsenal yet in pre-season.
This week could see him finally moved on permanently.
Gabriel Jesus signed due to Mikel Arteta. Oleksandr Zinchenko signed due to Mikel Arteta. Martin Odegaard signed due to Mikel Arteta.
Bukayo Saka re-signed due to Mikel Arteta. William Saliba re-signed due to Mikel Arteta. Gabriel Martinelli re-signed due to Mikel Arteta. Aaron Ramsdale re-signed due to Mikel Arteta.
Kai Havertz wanted to sign due to Mikel Arteta. Declan Rice wanted to sign due to Mikel Arteta. JurrienTimber wanted to sign due to Mikel Arteta.
Lisandro Martinez wished he signed due to Mikel Arteta. Mikhaylo Mudryk wished he signed due to Mikel Arteta. Moises Caicedo wished he signed due to Mikel Arteta.
In the last few days there has been a mini-exodus from Mikel Arteta’s backroom staff, with Assistant Manager Steve Round Head of Medical Services Gary O’Driscoll departing.
This has caused concern in some corners, but there is nothing to really worry about.
Having started his coaching career in 1996 at Jim Smith’s Derby, Round and goalkeeping coach Inaki Cana were Arteta’s only real appointments back in December 2019. The rest of the staff had worked previously under Unai Emery and Arsene Wenger.
His career had taken him from Derby to Middlesbrough, England, Newcastle, Everton, Manchester United and Aston Villa.
As well as Smith, he had worked with the likes of Gareth Southgate, David Moyes, Steve McClaren and Sam Allardyce.
In 2020, Arsenal had a bit of a backroom shake up, with the likes of Albert Stuivenberg, Carlos Cuesta and Miguel Molina joining the club. Round and Stuivenberg provided the experience to what was a fairly inexperienced management team.
Upon his departure, a mate of mine said “not a surprise, he was increasingly looking like a spare part”. And that is probably a fair assessment.
Over the last 12 months, we have seen the likes of Cuesta and Molina grow in influence. The pair often seen on the edge of the technical area barking orders.
Sir Alex Ferguson was brilliant at refreshing his backroom staff, often making changes every 2-3 years. This enabled new ideas and up-to-date coaching techniques to be bought onto the training ground.
When round joined Arsenal, he was Arteta’s number 2. With the rising influence of others, he has slipped down to 5.
With others around him growing in influence, Round’s experience is no longer essential. I would not be surprised to see him replaced by someone younger. Maybe a diminutive Spanaird who has recently retired…
West Ham have also seen a couple of backroom departues in the last week or so. Round worked with David Moyes for 6-years at Everton and Manchester United
Having potentially been sidelined as part of Arteta’s backroom staff, I would not be surprised if Round takes up a more prominent position alongside Moyes.
The other to leave is Arsenal Head of Medical Services Gary O’Driscoll.
The usual suspects who do not have a clue about football have responded as expected: “He is the reason why all of our players were injured” Enjoy having players injured Man U” “He cost us the title by not being able to fix William Saliba”
I always laugh when fans blame medical staff for a players injury. It shows a complete lack of knowledge of physiotherapy, recovery and sporting injuries.
Last season, just 2 clubs suffered less injuries than Arsenal. But that does not suit the agenda.
It sort of reminds me when people go on about how poor we are at defending corners, ignoring the statistics that show we are actually one of the best at defending. These sort of people never let the truth get in the way of them bashing the club.
O’Driscoll is one of the most respected sporting doctors in the country.
He joined us in 2009. Prior to become our club doctor, he was Ireland Rugby’s Team Doctor. He also went on 2 British and Irish Lions tours as Team Doctor (to New Zealand and South Africa).
Upon his appointment former Arsenal physio Colin Lewin, who was part of the interview panel said: “He came in and was clearly very good at what he did; his trauma management was unbelievable having worked in rugby and on Lions tours,”
Born in Manchester, O’Driscoll nearly left us in 2020.
Speaking to a few people, there was always a feeling that O’Driscoll would take up a job back in his native North-West if the opportunity arose. And this summer a job has come up with Manchester United and he has taken it.
O’Driscoll’s family still live in Manchester, so his exit will not come as a suprise to many.
Neither of these departures reflect on Arteta or Arsenal.
One is an Assistant Coach whose influence was dwindling. The other has just decided to return to his home city having lived in London for 14 years.
People will, of course, try and make a story out of these exist. Try to create a mountain out of a molehill. the truth is, people change jobs all the time. Football is no different.
She Wore A Yellow Ribbon 