Oxford move ruins what would have been the best FA Cup trip in 5 years

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“The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away” – Job 1:21.

I am by no means a religious fan, but I can not help thinking of this Old Testament chapter and verse with yesterdays news.

Early in the week, we got what could only be described the best FA Cup tie we have had since 2018.

Last season we got drawn away to Nottingham Forest – a repeat of the 2018 3rd round; our last decent FA Cup draw.

What makes up a good FA Cup draw? Everyone has their own criteria.

Some prefer “the easiest team at home” whilst lower league clubs go for “the biggest team away”. Me? I want an away game, to a club I have not been to before, at a ground of decent enough size where a decent amount of Arsenal can go.

Nottingham Forest in 2018 was the last of that, despite the result.

In 2019, we face Blackpool away (horrible journey to make in January) and Man U at home. 2020 we had Covid, so away games were not on the agenda.

2021 saw a home game to Newcastle and a trip to Southampton, whilst 2022 saw a repeat of the game (and result) to Forest.

Drawn against Oxford United away looked a cracker.

A team who we had not travelled to since 1988 in the old Division One. A side we had not played since 2003. And less than an hours train journey from Paddington.

The buzz was real, but I also foresaw the future, turning to a mate and saying “bet we will be Monday 8pm”.

And as the Lord gave us a great draw, he then proceeded to chanel his powers through ITV and the game was selected for that 8pm Monday slot.

We already have a horrid Christmas period.

The West Ham game moved to 8pm (then 7:45pm) on the 26th already meant a race to get a train home and no real chance of a post-game beer. TfL will be running their Bank Holiday service which means not many trains beying 11.30pm.

We then visit Brighton on NYE – a trip younger me would’ve been all over with hotels and night out on the south coast. But then our first game of 2023 was moved to Tuesday night against Newcastle.

A disgraceful kick off time on the first working day of the year (and worse for them than us – they will need to take two days off work for it).

They really should ensure all “first games of the year” happen on New Years Day (or the in lieu Bank Holiday). Asking loyal fans to take two days off work just as we return to work is not right.

And now we have the Oxford United game move to a Monday night. Instead of it now being a cracking away day, it now becomes a horror show.

Do I work before the game or not? Maybe need to take a half day. And after the game, it will be a late dash to get home.

Oxford’s Grenoble Road stadium is one of those build next to a roundabout in an industrial park outside the city. Think Reading and Stoke.

It is 4 and a half miles from the station – a 90 minute walk or a bus journey back.

Under these circumstances, we would usually find a pub local to the stadium, let the crowd die down before jumping in a taxi. But with the now evening kick off, that is not really an option.

That last train I can get back to mine from Paddington (I live on the London / Essex borders) is 00:17. Now I need to get the 22:32 from Oxford and hope there are no delays.

So rather than it being a decent away day – if it happened lunch gtime or mid-afternoon on the Saturday or Sunday – it is now a horror show. And once again shows that TV companies do not care about travelling fans (and the criticism of the Super League was just content for them!)

Prior to the Nottingham Forest game in 2018, we had a couple of decent trips in 2017.

Preseton North End away ticked the boxes. And whilst Sutton was a Monday night, it was a ground no one had been and there were trains home!

After Forest, Preston and Sutton, the only other decent trip we have in the last decade was Brighton (prior to them being promoted).

In recent years, we have had far too many games against Premier League or recently relegated sides. As a travelling fan, I have been starved of a decent away trip.

And in Oxford I thought we had one to kick off this seasons FA Cup. And now, in reality, I probably will not got.

UTA

Keenos

5 wingers that could freshen up Arsenal

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Rafael Leao

Touted as a future Balon D’Or contender, Rafael Leao is already a superstar.

The Portuguese winger was named Italian Footballer of the Year last season as AC Milan won their first league title in over a decade.

He has continued what he started last year, putting in the consistent performances that show he is not a one season wonder.

A player like Leao would usually command huge money, but next summer he will have just 12 months left on his contract.

AC Milan might be tempted to cash in during the January transfer window before his value plummets.

Whether Arsenal will want to spend £50-60m is up for discussion.

It really depends on whether we want someone who could walk straight into our first team ahead of Gabriel Martinelli; or whether we are backing our young Brazilian and looking to get someone cheaper (and younger) who will provide competition and cover on both flanks.

The feeling is it will be the later.

Arsenal will likely look to bring in someone a little less established, and cheaper, rather than a superstar.

However, if Bukayo Saka’s contract talks continue, we might see Leao as a big name replacement.

Cody Gakpo

PSV’s Cody Gakpo has been on many an amateur scouts watch list for a few years. He has also been extensively watched by every top club across Europe.

The feeling was always that he had the physical and technical ability to be a superstar. But his output never really lived up to the promise.

This season he has hit 9 goals in 10 Eredivisie games, further adding 7 assists.

Now 23-years-old, you had to wonder why no top club had yet taken the plunge.

Last year he was heavily linked with Leeds United to replace Raphinha, but eventually he stayed at PSV.

There are some rumours that he simply does not want to leave Eindhoven. That he is happy being a big fish in a small pond.

He is already hero to the PSV fans. He captains the team and their side is built around how he wants to play. He seems to revel I being front and centre.

Would he still have the same impact when he is asked to play more of the team rather than himself? And is he more an Andros Townsend than Arjen Robben?

He will only be able to answer those questions when he plays at a higher level.

And we know the step up from the Dutch league to top end Premier League is a big one. Someone will eventually take the risk. But will it be Arsenal?

Mykhaylo Mudryk

A year ago Mykhaylo Mudryk was a little known Ukranian player.

He was linked with Arsenal towards the end of last summer which led to many researching him, and keeping an eye on his progress.

Mudryk is a quick, skilful winger, who predominately plays on the left, allowing him to cut in on his stronger right foot. His left leg is by no means just for standing on, and he is equally as confident beating his man on the outside and crossing from his left peg.

Just 21-years-old, he potentially has a very high ceiling. 3 goals and 5 assists in 6 Premier Liga games followed up 2 and 7 in 11 last season.

It is frustrating that his 2021/22 campaign was cut short due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine as he was beginning to sparkle.

Mudryk has also impressed in the Champions League this season where he has been Shaktar’s best player – scoring against both RB Leipzig and Celtic. He also didn’t look out of place against Real Madrid.

The rumoured price tag of £50m+ is steep for one with so little experience, and you feel that price will have to halve for us to become interested.A

Although if you look at our “whole” frontline, £130m for Jesus, Saka, Martinelli, Mudryk, Nketiah and Smith Rowe would look like a bargain

His ceiling could be huge and he would be a fantastic edition to our young squad of the price is right.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

Whereas Mudryk and Gakpo are still yet to take that set up, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia made the move to Napoli this season and has been devastating in Serie A.

Since making a £10m move from Dinamo Batumi in the summer, “the Georgian Messi” has justified his hype with 5 goals and 3 assists in 10 Serie A games. He has also added 2 and 3 in the Champions League.

Having only moved to Italy a few months ago, January might be too early for a move. And with Napoli unbeaten and top of the league, he will unlikely look to be in a rush.

Next summer he might be swayed by Premier League money, and if he does come available there will be a lot of interest.

If Arsenal are to “go big” on a winger, the top league experience of Kvaratskhelia might be the clincher.

Wilfried Zaha

The odd one out for more than one reason.

Firstly, the only man on this list that is Premier League proven. Secondly he turns 30 in November – the next oldest on this list is just 23.

In 2018, Arsenal were heavily linked with the Crystal Palace winger; with Zaha reportedly extremely keen on the deal.

A £40m deal did not go through, Zaha signed a new 5-year deal and 12 months later we signed his compatriot, Nicolas Pepe.

That 5-year contract is ends this summer, leaving Crystal Palace with a decision for January.

They will probably be in “no man’s land” in the middle of the Premier League – unlikely to go down or challenge for Europe.

That will mean they could potentially cash in on Zaha without us damaging their season.

With Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze, they have some exciting talent ready to step up.

Zaha would make an immediate impact at the Emirates, and would freshen up our attack for the 2nd half of the season.

At his age, he would be a short term option, proving experience competition on the left and right whilst not getting in the way of Saka and Martinelli’s continual development.

Zaha would compliment rather than replace that younger ones.

A deal could come down to what Zaha wants.

Is he only after guaranteed regular first team football? Or is he up for challenging himself at the highest level once more following his failed spell at Man U?

And with him entering his 30th year, would he be looking for that “one last big contract” that will finance his retirement?

Having made the mistake with Mesut Ozil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Arsenal will be reluctant to offer him big money and a learn term contract.

A 3-and-a-half year deal on similar money to what he is on now (£130k a week) would be an agreeable deal from Arsenal’s point of view.

But if it is all about the money, Zaha would be better off letting his contract run down and pocketing a huge signing on fee next summer.

One to keep an eye on.

Keenos

Winger or striker – what should Arsenal be looking to recruit in January?

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Morning!

So yesterday we discussed how Arsenal will need a Reyes-esque signing in January to keep things fresh, to re-energise the crowd after the World Cup, and keep our title challenge on track.

It does not take a genius to work out that Arsenal could do with a new attacker in January. Someone who can potentially play both out wide and upfront. Providing further cover and competition for Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli.

But what should we predominantly targeting? A striker or a winger?

Gabriel Jesus is clearly our undisputed number one striker.

Whilst we are not too concerned with his current goal drought, it is something that we need to keep an eye on.

The gap between Jesus and Eddie Nketiah is perhaps to large, and this has lead to Mikel Arteta starting Jesus in every league game so far.

Jesus’s game is such high energy.

He never stopps running. Always closing down defenders. Drifting out wide to help create and make space for others.

There is a concern that he will not be able to keep this up for an entire season.

For Manchester City, he was not a regular starter.

The most Premier League minutes he played for them in a single season was 2060 (2021/22). He has already played 1226 minutes in the league for Arsenal.

At current pace, he is due to pass his record minutes in a league campaign after 24 games. That will still leave 14 games to the end of the season. 14 games into the unknown for Jesus.

The worry is, has he built the “old-man strength” needed to keep going whilst playing so little.

A bit like a boxer who always knocks out their opponents in the first 6 rounds, questions will always be asked about their stamina beyond this, and into the Championship rounds.

You often hear boxers speaking about the “need to get more rounds in”, otherwise, by the time they fight for the big belts, those round 8-12 are still an unknown.

Prior to recent news, a case could easily be made for us to go out and get an Ivan Toney.

The Brentford striker was many peoples favourite to be our 2nd choice striker.

But realistically, would someone like Toney leave playing week in, week out for Brentford to be our 2nd choice? The same argument is there for Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Saying that, Arsenal would be a huge step up for both. And in DCL’s case, would it be better to sit on our bench than be in yet another relegation dog fight with Everton?

As for their England ambitions, Gareth Southgate has shown he does not really care if you are on the bench for your club – Callum Wilson made the squad having started just 66% of Newcastle’s games.

Joining Arsenal might actually increase both men’s chances of being in future England squads.

Of course, Toney and DCL both have their negatives.

Toney’s betting and general attitude and DCL’s injury record both count against them.

Both men would also command huge transfer fees for “2nd string” players. And neither resolve Arsenal’s lack of widemen cover.

Whilst Toney and DCL have both played wider throughout their career, this has more been in a 2 striker system rather than as an out and out wide forward.

The logical step would then be to utilise Jesus as that “3rd choice winger”, and playing the new striker down the middle (lets start getting away from Toney / DCL and talk more generally about a striker – this is not a debate over Toney or DCL).

But this would not resolve the issue over Jesus’s game time.

A new striker coming in should be to take the strain off Jesus, not to then have him as an option out wide.

We want to be able to rest and rotate Saka and Martinelli, as well as Jesus. Not be in a position where everytime Saka or Martinelli takes a break, Jesus still needs to play.

And this is the issue with finding someone to cover Jesus. It just means the Brazilian is then the cover for the wideman.

The only other solution is finding a Danny Welbeck type striker. Someone who is primarily a centre forward, but has the attributes (pace) to play outwide. But I am not sure that exists?

Ultimately, in January it feels like we need to sign a winger who can also play up top rather than a striker to cover Jesus.

That way, the new man covers 3 positions, 3 men. Allowing us to rest and rotate one of Saka, Martinelli and Jesus every game without reducing the quality.

In the modern game, versatility in the front line is so important.

Saka can play across the 3 behind a striker (and I think he would do a job at “8” as well). Martinelli can play on each flank and down the middle. Jesus can play down the middle and on either flank.

We therefore need someone in a similar mould in January.

Rather than a new striker, go for someone who is a wideman, but can also play down the middle. Cody Gakpo is an obvious candidate. As is Wilfried Zaha.

Both have spent most of their playing career out wide, but have also played centrally to good effect for their clubs.

I also think a winger that can play down the middle is “easier” to find in the modern game than a central striker who can play outwide.

Post Thierry Henry, many modern wingers play both centrally and wide as they come up through their clubs youth systems.

Unless you are a 6ft 4in lump (Erling Haaland), your pace will be utilised across the front 3 (there are more Neymar’s and Mbappe’s in the modern game then out and out centre forwards).

Going for a winger then increaees the pool of possibile candidates, and the likelihood of us being able to find someone of sufficient quality who is happy to sit on the bench.

That player will also be cover for 3 positions, where as a new striker will probably only cover one. The result is they will see more game time.

Final thought: Do not discount Arsenal moving for Dusan Vlahovic and using Jesus as the winger / striker.

So what do you think? Should Arsenal be looking to sign a striker or winger in January?

Keenos