Morning all.
As one of the few teams no to be playing mid-week, we have seen the media rehash some discussion points in an attempt to drive Arsenal traffic to their site.
The two I have seen the most is about Arsenal regretting letting players leave. Namely Joe Willock and Emiliano Martinez.
We sold Willock to Newcastle for £25million nearly two years ago. It was one of those transfers that was a good deal all round. So I am not sure what is fueling the “Arsenal must regret selling Willock” and “can’t believe they only sold him for £25m” stories.
Willock was turning 22 when we sold him, and needed to kick on with his career.
Not really a defensive midfielder, not really suitable for the way we attacked, he struggled for game time in his last season with us.
Willock is built for counter attacking football, not being too involved in build up and arriving in the box late to score. He averages just 25 passes a game for Newcastle.
He does not have the passing technique to play in tight places, and struggled at Arsenal as we pinged the ball around the edge of an opponents box looking for space. This is not to sya he is a poor player. Just he is not suitable for us.
The soon-to-be-24-year-old suits the way Newcastle play – they defend deep, look to break quick, and try not to have too many touches between winning the ball back and getting a shot at goal.
Arsenal sold a player that did not suit them, Newcastle signed someone that was better than anything else they had in midfield, and £25m was a fair price all round, which we reinvested in Martin Odegaard. It is not a debate that Odegaard is the better player.
I am delighted to see him doing so well and he will be well worth an England call up.
As for Martinez, I really do not get why this story keeps popping up.
A bit part player who only played a handful of games for us, he refused to sign a new deal without being gauranteed to be first choice. The only team interested in signing him was 17th place Aston Villa.
A year later, we signed Aaron Ramsdale. The Englishman was happy to compete to be number one.
Since signing for Villa, his team have finished 11th and 14th. They are currently 9th. He has also won the World Cup be default of being the only half-decent Argentine keeper.
You have to think if he was as good as some say – and he thinks – then he will get a move to a big club this summer. But will someone want to sign a near 31-year-old who still makes a lot of errors; they are just not highlighted as much whilst at a smaller club?
Whilst Arsenal are challeging for the title with Ramsdale (who is second to Nick Pope in clean sheets), Villa are mid-table once again. Really not sure how we regret not keeping a player who was unwilling to fight for his place.
The fact these two stories have reared their heads this week shows how important Arsenal are for advertising revenue. They really are both non-stories and I doubt too many Arsenal fans have shown their regret this season over the two.
And before you tag us in some wierdos, yes I know there are odd fellas out there with #EduOut #ArtetaOut in their Twitter bio who complain about Odegaard every week and would much rather have Willock. These same fellas preferred Nicholas Pepe over Bukayo Saka. They build their opinion based on who Arteta rates.
Arteta likes a player, they hate them. Arteta does not rate a player, they love them.
These fellas would see Arsenal having a forward line of:
Aubameyang
Tavares Guendouzi Willock Pepe
Anyway, I get the irony of me moaning about these topics popping up again, and then proceeding to blog about them. I guess I am part of the problem.
Keenos
She Wore A Yellow Ribbon 