Awful England and Torreira Woes

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Morning all and happy Thursday.

I see that the usual suspects are still complaining about our “lack” of transfer business.

The majority of those complaining have “TV” in their Twitter handle or a YouTube channel in their bio. I guess they need to “create” content somehow. And with their very limited knowledge on football, complaining about transfer and spreading transfer gossip is the easiest way they can earn a couple of quid.

The fall-out to England’s dismal Nations League continues and the consensus seems to be that it is all Bukayo Saka and Aaron Ramsdale’s fault.

If you lose 4-0 at home to Hungary, it is not really one players fault. It is the entire team and management.

The finger pointing at Ramsdale in particular just seems churlish.

England failed to score from open play in any of the 4 fixtures.

Against Hungary we has 2 shots on target – both from John Stones.

Harry Kane – the greatest striker to ever grace the game – has had 4 shots on target in 4 games. Raheem Sterling just the one. Harry Maguire seemed to forget how to defend and Southgate continued to play right backs at left back. It was rank football from an exhausted team.

So lets not just blame a single player just because he plays for a team you do not like. It was everyone’s fault. Manager included.

Back to transfers and we have a very frustrated player in Lucas Torreira.

He went to Fiorentina and had a good season – starting 25 Serie A games as the Italian side had their highest finish in 6 seasons.

Despite having and option to buy of just £15m, Fiorentina have decided to not make the transfer permanent.

Torreira’s recent quotes would indicate that he has been lied to by the Fiorentina hierarchy, meaning if this was a ploy by them to drive down his price they have probably only ended up alienating.

I do feel for Torreira.

His big move to Arsenal did not work out as he failed to settle in London. He then had an average loan spell at Atletico Madrid. It looked like he had found a home back in Italy, but then Fiorentina pull the deal.

I hope he finds a new home next season – even if it is a temporary one again.

He is clearly a good player and a good person. I wish him well.

Enjoy your Thursday.

Keenos

Arsenal right to stay well clear of Bissouma

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And just like that, these pointless post-season international friendlies are over.

At the time of writing I am on the Jubilee line home. I am 6 beers in and have no idea what the England score is. Not do I care. All I know is it is over now.

What a horribly pointless tournament.

Every international manager ended up playing massively changed XIs as they realised players had just run out of steam. Time to get rid of the tournament.

In other news Tottenham look set to sign Yves Bissouma.

I was always uncomfortable with our links to him.

As far as I know the fella has not yet been cleared of some horrendous charges.

Brighton have clearly been pimping him around England in the hope of cashing in.

The scary thing about football at times is there is always a club willing to take a player on regardless of what he has allegedly done. This is an example of that.

Bissouma is still facing some really crazy charges – yet Spurs are paying £25m on him.

It might not end up in tears; but I am just glad Arsenal showed little interest.

It is that time of year where I have to remind people to ignore Twitter ITK’s.

In the last week, I have seen some fella with 50k+ followers claim that Gabriel Jesus to Arsenal is “nearly done”, that Gabriel Jesus to Chelsea is “nearly done” and the Gabriel Jesus to Tottenham is “nearly done”.

Questions need to be asked about these middle-aged fellas that spend their days in their bedroom shouting at a camera in the hope teenage boys follow them.

We won the cricket. I’m in Canning Town. I think. It’s still light outside. Might go for a beer.

Enjoy your Wednesday

Keenos

And on the 4th day of the transfer window Edu gave to me, a Brazilian born in 2003

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It was just 24 hours ago that we were advising people to calm down and not worry. That the transfer window was merely 3 days old so you were stressing over nothing that we had not signed anyone yet.

Barely 6 hours after that blog went live, Arsenal had made the first signing of the summer – Marquinhos.

Now the naysayers will be spinning the narrative that “a 19-year old prospect is not a real signing”. Well you were not saying that yesterday when you were talking about Liverpool having made a signing already – the only man they have signed is also a 19-year-old in Fábio Carvalho.

Marcus Vinicius Oliveira Alencar – to quote his full name for the first and only time – joins from Brazilian outfit Sao Paolo; whom he played 41 times for last season.

I would be lying if I said I had ever heard of him prior to us being linked – or even seen him play. I am sure there will be some social media experts that will claim to have been following him since he was 11 playing on the beach though.

He does come with a fairly high reputation. Do not be put off by the price tag.

Arsenal got him at a cut price due to an issue with his contract.

In 2019, at 16, he signed a 5 year deal with Sao Paolo. However FIFA rules dictate that uU18 players can only sign a 3 year deal. This meant that his contract basically expired.

Arsenal have done a deal reportedly worth €3.5 million as Edu hopes to build a long turn relationship with the Brazilian club.

Where does Marquinhos fit in at Arsenal? I really do not know.

Look back to the signing of Gabriel Martinelli.

Martinelli was signed as an 18-year-old and expected to play for our PL2 side. His performances in pre-season saw him quickly elevated to the first team squad – and then he got his opportunities in the League Cup and Europa League and never looked back.

No one would have expected Martinelli to score 10 goals in 26 games in his first season. But he is now a solid member of our senior squad. And still just 20.

I expect there to be a similar plan with Marquinhos.

He will not be expected to make an immediate first team impact. Instead he will be with the first team in pre-season and then it will be “see where he goes”.

He could be the next Maritnelli. He could be the next Wellington Silva.

Either way, his signing will stop people saying “we have not signed anyone yet”. They will probably just find something else to moan about though.

Talking about something else to moan about, Emile Smith Rowe played for England last night in the U21s. What is the point?

Smith Rowe turns 22 in a month and already has 3 senior caps. He should not be taking the step down to youth football.

If Gareth Southgate decided not to pick him for the senior squad for the pointless Nations League games, he should have been given the summer off.

U21 football should all be about developing players, and I am not really sure how playing it benefits Smith Rowe.

Last season he played nearly 2,500 senior minutes for Arsenal. He should have been on the beach resting. Not still playing football in the middle of June.

At least that “campaign” is now over and he can now get 4 weeks rest ahead of returning to pre-season training in the middle of July (first pre-season friendly for Arsenal is 8th July).

Likewise tonight is the last “Nations League” game of the season.

We have seen teams begin to put out massively changed XIs for Nations League fixtures which highlights the shine has already rubbed off the competition. It is now being treated as post-season friendlies.

Good idea, but time to cancel it.

Hopefully Bukayo Saka gets through unscathed and will be able to get in some much needed rest.

Have a good Tuesday.

Keenos